Abiding by the Law – Driving on the Speed Limit, and Enjoying It!

I have always loved to speed. I never drive so fast that I could lose my licence, and never recklessly, but rarely abiding by the law with respect to the speed limit.

I drive powerful cars and I drive safely, but I do like to open up and go fast on an open road. Driving fast like this creates a certain tension in me. I used to pride myself on being able to sense the presence of police cars and would slow down just before coming upon them on the other side of the crest or around the bend. I rarely got caught. To be honest, I think I liked the thrill of it, the rush of it, the feeling I was ‘getting away with it’.

But I have since come to realise that driving in this way creates a narrowness of focus. I am always focussed on the speedo, the sides of the road – looking for likely hiding spots for police cars – and focussed on the other cars, wondering if they are well-camouflaged or unmarked police cars.

I am also always coming up behind slower moving vehicles, so they are always ‘getting in my way’. This leads to impatience, frustration, and sometimes even internal rage.

The other day, I was driving to an appointment. It was a sunny day during school holidays, and I was driving on a highway the police love to patrol. I started off as usual and then thought: “Why not just drive on the speed limit?” So I did.

Driving on the Speed Limit – a Revelation

I drove along at 100 km an hour, instead of 120, and slowed down for road works and built up areas, always travelling within the law and abiding by the speed limits. This created an enormous ease and openness in me and my whole awareness opened up. I was not just focused on the road and on my speed, but was able to be aware of and appreciate my own self, my body and everything around me.

Because I was driving at the same speed as everyone else, the whole road opened up around me. No-one was getting in my way, I had all the space and time in the world, and I was on the road with everyone else, sharing the space with everyone equally.

I felt a great stillness, and a great sense of joy.

What do I mean when I say I felt a great stillness?

I am usually a little racy, on edge, my mind going quickly, jumping forwards and back in time… and all that even though I no longer choose to drink coffee or eat sugar! I sometimes try to fit too much into each moment and so am often running late, rushing to complete tasks and get to the next one.

In this space that I created by driving within the speed limit, just by allowing myself to drive within the road laws, rather than forcing myself to go faster to get somewhere, this raciness fell away and I was left feeling a great stillness and spaciousness within me. And I had the understanding that this sense of stillness and space is always there, living within me, if I allow myself to slow down and feel it.

And then I wondered why I had spent 35 years speeding while driving, depriving myself of this pleasure; the pleasure of abiding by the law. I realised that the law is there, not to annoy me, or to be flouted for the sake of it, but to keep us all as safe as road laws can, no matter what kind of car you have, what the weather conditions are, and how much traffic is on the road.

What part of me thinks I am above or exempt from this law? The part that thinks I am smarter, more alert, have a better car – that the law does not apply to me?

What part of the law says that it is for everyone but me? Abiding by the law comes from the understanding that we are all equal, and that the law is for everyone, equally so; and if we choose to break it, no matter how special we think we are, there will be consequences for us, as there are for everyone else.

This has been an amazing and humbling experience for me, and a great lesson in true equality. And to experience stillness within while in motion is a far greater joy than any cheap thrill (which can become an expensive fine!) that I ever had when speeding. Now, all I have to learn to do is leave enough time to get where I am going, as I drive whilst abiding by the law!

You Might Also Like

758 Comments

Stephen G says:May 3, 2015 at 1:31 pm

Thanks for writing this blog Anne M, what you write makes a lot of sense. I have always been very aware of a tension that I can find in driving when I am rushing to get somewhere. The last trip I did I was less concerned with all this and just drove at a speed that felt best and at the end of the journey I was not as tired as I often have been after 4 hours in the car. I find driving with less drive (pun intended) means I become less caught up in the crazy speeding that abounds a lot of driving from road users who are desperate to get from A-B as fast as they can and as you say I can be more aware of how I feel while behind the wheel.

Love it, Steve – driving with drive vs. being aware of how you feel behind the wheel!
Yes, driving with this tension is tiring, even exhausting, whereas driving with oneself and within the law can be deeply restful.
Now if I fall back into old driving habits, I feel that tension in my body again, as a reminder, and an invitation to go deeper, slow down and rest.

I have never felt this before Anne, but it is so true that how we are in our self is reflected in how we drive. I set off for a journey recently not quite being present with myself consequently leading me to make a wrong turn on a familiar journey, I also found it hard to concentrate which lead to me having to pull over for five minutes to close my eyes and bring myself back to me. Driving can be a wonderful marker for where we are in ourselves. Whether it be racy (literally!), hesitant, aggressive or impatient, like everything we do, it just comes re-bounding back to us.

I’ve had similar experiences with lack of concentration and being not quite present when driving. I agree, its a great marker for where we are in ourselves, also a chilling reminder for our responsibility when behind the wheel, where we hold the power of life and death in our hands.

Sandra I can relate to what you share, I have had similar experiences too. When we are with ourselves, the journey and the drive is beautiful and so smooth. It is a great reminder to really connect and stay present with the body in everything we do.

I can relate to what you are saying Sandra. Driving is a very honest marker of where you are at. I have also discovered that it can bring me back to myself when I am very present in driving. For instance when I feel tensed about things I need to do in the day ahead I can bring myself back by feeling my feet on the pedals and my hands how they are holding the steering wheel. I than feel how I am sitting in my car seat and if there are tensions I hold in my body while driving. I focus on the road and the traffic around me and just observe how it all feels. It is amazing what a joyful drive it becomes and how at ease I become within myself.

Driving has often been seen, as a way to unwind in the day – to go for a drive and relax. It is interesting how we don’t place as equal importance as cooking over a hot flame as we ‘think’ it is not as dangerous. A simple act of going over the speed range is by far showing a lot more than we care to feel.

Vanessa totally agree with you driving fast adds a tension for me in the body, I notice how I grip the steering wheel more tightly. I like to take my time and enjoy the drive rather than driving too fast. The other day I over took a slow moving vehicle and then stopped at a motorway café just to stretch my legs literally drank some water and walked around the car and got back on the motorway and there in front of me was the slow moving vehicle. It reminded me of the story about the tortoise and the hare. With so much traffic on the motorways it is better to go slowly and get to the destination safely.

I have noticed that too Vanessa. Our body has its own in built speed limit or tension barometer that clearly shows us when we are driving too fast. I have wondered if that was how the speeds were determined in the first place.

Yes indeed, Stephen, driving with less drive is a different experience altogether. I have also found that it does not drain the body, but rather can feel spacious and provide an opportunity to connect. The same goes with life in general – if I am not fixated on a destination or outcome I don’t miss out on the loveliness of the journey.

I agree Janet, “if I am not fixated on a destination or outcome I don’t miss out on the loveliness of the journey”. It is so easy to get caught up looking at the end point we miss all the beauty of the journey and the lessons along the way. Focusing on an end point can also be used to justify irrational and unloving choices and so we are less inclined to look after the quality of ourselves along the journey, so the end result is then no where near where it could be. Also having an end result or a picture we do not allow it to develop into more and so have to try to control the situations to get it to fit into the picture – which is an extremely exhausting way of living!

“if I am not fixated on a destination or outcome I don’t miss out on the loveliness of the journey”, that’s very lovely Janet. I have found that if I am fixated on the outcome of the journey of life I am in fact limiting myself, as the journey could take a whole new direction if I remain open to it and not hold onto outcomes I have created for myself.

Beautifully expressed Janet . ” If I am not fixated on a destination or outcome I don’t miss out on the loveliness of the journey.” Being fixated on the the outcome can bring a lot of unnecessary tension and rush to living but if we enjoy the journey so much more opens up.

I agree Nikki, ‘Driving can be exhausting but that comes from the way we drive not because of the driving.’. I am inspired by Anne’s article and everyone’s comments to bring more attention to my driving, particularly the long drive home after work.

That’s an important point Karina, it doesn’t have to be that we drive particularly slowly, more that we are paying close attention to how we feel in our body and not getting anxious in the journey. This makes all the difference. It can be enjoyable to check in so to speak with our body, how certain parts feel, is there tension in the neck or shoulders, is our back comfortable, how our feet feel on the pedals.

So True Stephen. I didn’t used to pay any attention to my body whilst driving and used to end up with a sore neck, shoulders, back and achey legs. Now I pay more attention to how my body feels during the drive, I have less pain at the end of my journey.

Christoph Schnelle says:July 16, 2015 at 6:44 pm

Yes, driving harmoniously is a pleasure. You can drive all day and feel great when stepping out of the car.

Yes Steve, I like how you have expressed that we can “drive with less drive”.
And thank you Anne. I have noticed myself rushing of late and so it reminds me of the need to leave more time to get to where I’m going so the journey there can be a lovely time where I’m with myself and others on the road.

I agree Stephen – by allowing myself to be still and focussed in that stillness, I don’t get caught up in the otherwise drama that can unfold all around me in the seeming rush of the day. I am able to observe other drivers, see and feel where they are at with how close they follow, the expressions on their faces and how fast they are going. I am very conscious to clock now whenever anxiousness enters whilst I am driving – usually to do with time pressure. I know now this is not a truly responsible way to drive, so breathe gently to remind myself there is nowhere I need to be that is greater than the stillness within me.

“I am very conscious to clock now whenever anxiousness enters whilst I am driving – usually to do with time pressure. I know now this is not a truly responsible way to drive, so breathe gently to remind myself there is nowhere I need to be that is greater than the stillness within me.”- This is lovely Amelia and a great reminder to leave plenty of time for a journey to avoid anxiousness.

It sounds a bit odd Stephen, but I am finding that actually taking life in a gentle ease and pace with me actually creates space in my day and I get even more done than I would if I tried to rush rush through it. I suppose the same goes for speeding too..

Beautifully said Stephen. It is true, the less we rush and try to fit time the more space opens up for us and this I am realising is the key to being able to really enjoy and be with every moment life presents to us.

What a great observation Anne that we can arrogantly think a law does not apply to us. How many of us have felt this at one time or another? I know I have. The way you shared about a law being for everyone equally and with a purpose to keep everyone as safe as possible is a revelation and one that is not yet commonly accepted.

It is funny how we make the excuses and the criticisms just so that our behaviour can be excused and the law broken. When in fact, as you say, these laws are here for us all equally, something that we seldom accept.

I found it a big learning about brotherhood, as I have often thought I could get away with a small variation of the rules, without actually breaking them. That no longer works for me, i have to treat the rules with the same respect as everyone else, because I am the same as them, we are equal sons of God.

I realize now it is pure arrogance to think that at certain moments the rules are not meant for me and I can go my way. I see the deeper lesson here: I separate and I disrespect others, apart from the unsafe situations I create. Great lesson to pay attention to this ‘breaking the rule in traffic’ behaviour!

Vicky Geary says:May 9, 2015 at 8:08 pm

This is true Carolien. Even if there wasn’t a law for us to choose to abide by or not, we do feel the choice to take responsibility or not. This just goes to show that not only are we ignoring the physical law that exist, but we are also ignoring the internal universal laws that are forever there for us to feel.

Absolutely Vicky Geary, the fact that we have created laws to live by is a strong indicator that we are all aware of a deeper energetic responsibility we all have to each other, nature and the universe. We do all know that everything we do, say or think either harms or heals. We just choose to ignore it.

I have always enjoyed flouting the law as a statement of some kind of rebellion and individuality – more and more I see the ugliness and arrogance of this. This is a beautiful article, with expanding comments, that brings a whole new perspective – the law as brotherhood, responsibility and equality – thank you, Anne and Carolien.

I can so relate to what you say, Matilda – flouting the law as a statement of some kind and the ugliness and arrogance of it, so I used to regard law as something limiting, controlling and unfair, and I never appreciated it as brotherhood, responsibility and equality as Anne so beautifully presents here.

Yes great point Matilda and Fumiyo I am this kind of rebellion as well and it is interesting for me what I chose to not fit in. To see it as an arrogance and that I avoid brotherhood is a new way of looking at it – wunderbar.

What stood out for me is bringing that attention away from oneself and bringing it to ‘the law of brotherhood, responsibility and equality.’ So beautiful and such a great reminder, for every time I get behind the wheel it is not to get me from A to B, but how is my presence on the road impacting the whole. Making sure I am connected with me, focused on conscious presence and not distracted. This does affect everyone.

I absolutely agree Matilda. I have always reacted to a law, any law! I didn’t realize until now how the rebellion (which I have not cared to admit) has always been there but it has been covered over with me trying to be the ‘good’ girl! The arrogance I feel is quite astonishing! To see the law in the way of having regard for everyone on the road and not just myself wanting to get from A to B is indeed a revelation.

This is excellent Matilda, what I find truly profound is” the law as brotherhood, responsibility and equality” I now realise for myself the arrogance and separation from brotherhood, responsibility and equality that I am in when I choose to be ignorant or avoid abiding by the law as I believe I have found a loop hole or nothing will happen. I find it extremely exciting to imagine how the law could be used as a harmonising power that unites us all

Oh it’s so tempting to speed to get somewhere faster or just because you can. But I agree it does create a tension in the body that I don’t like. Recently I have noticed that how I drive and how others drive is very similar to how I live. If I am rushing that day I will drive rushed, if I am steady and content, I will drive this way too…until I make a choice to choose differently.

Marika I can totally relate to driving reflecting how I am in my day. It’s potentially a dangerous game. I often am surprised there aren’t more accidents given I’d say the people drive how they live so sometimes recklessly.

I know if I’m in a rush I know I need to take much greater care for how I’ve lived to being in a rush rather than continuing to race!

Haha, some parts in Germany there are no speed limits and I still love to drive fast sometimes as long I feel safe and there is just a straight road ahead. But I always check my body as long I feel no tension. I don’t like nervous tension from pushing myself into stress situations anymore, this is gone as I have worked on myself uncovering any needs that I used to have to proof something to myself and to others. My life has changed so much as I have allowed to see the reason to why I had put myself into danger situations that creates tension in my body. Pushing the body hard is a way to run away of feeling the truth and not wanting connecting to it. Since I take my responsibility, my life has changed in many ways, even the way I drive.

I would agree with you Monika, Since taking more responsibility for myself I have changed especially the way I drive my car. I don’t loose my temper if someone cuts me off or pulls out in front of me. As best as I can I set off early for my journeys and enjoy the scenery which at this time of year is green and gorgeous.

I so agree with what you have said here Monika…”pushing the body hard is a way to run away of feeling the truth and not wanting to connect to it” this is one of the things I used to do when I didn’t want to feel my truth.

Ahaa, driving in Germany. I used to have this silly -and I know for a lot of Dutch too- habit, when passing over the border, it was cruise time. For no other reason than there is no limit, let’s hit the pedal. It was almost like this adrenaline, super alert and tension were part of the coolness, part of driving fast. Looking back at that habit, it feels so far from where I am at now. Far more honouring my body, not one inch in me would choose for driving faster with tension increasing per 10 kilometres. It is all about what feels right for my body and make my personal choices in that. Not what is made by a law outside of me.

This is an amazing revelation and well worth sharing as something we can all relate to and can feel the joy , flow and ease of driving with everyone in spacesousness and living with a deep stillness inside and all it brings.Thank you for sharing your story and it is something i will remember not only when driving but with everything.

I find it interesting how we like to see ourselves as individuals separate from everyone else and how we think of ourselves as islands where life revolves around us! It is a whole new learning to discover that what I do affects another just as what they do affects me, and if someone is driving in a way that unsettles me then I need to look at how I have been driving too because sure enough there will be many moments where I have been impatient or simply not careful enough. There have been many moments in my life where I have felt upset or put out or arrogant in the thought that other people are simply not being careful enough around me without the slightest thought as to whether I am being responsible and caring around others.. I love how your blog exposes that when we accept we are a part of something equally then everything starts to flow and that a sense of community, connection and stillness naturally follows.

Yes, indeed, Michelle, and comment reminds me of observing the thousands of cars, mopeds and cyclists all packed on the roads in Vietnam – doing their own thing but very much in touch with everything around them. And because of this connection, everything miraculously seems to flow.

Yes, it is so easy to be on our own little island in our car and get upset or annoyed by others. But in fact we are not separate or different, we are matter of factly swimming in the same pool, the same pool of traffic, we are in the traffic and we are part of the traffic so it is actually ridiculous to blame the others for whatever we might blame them for while being part of this whole.

Anne, I loved this blog as it was so real and honest! It also reminded me of a situation way back in my early 20’s where I was asked one day when remarking on the time it had taken me to arrive at my destination, how fast was I driving. I casually answered “Oh, about 140km”. At the time (after the shock that is!), I was firmly but lovingly reminded of the potential dangerous situation I was placing myself in, as well as all others by driving at that speed which at the time, I was totally ignorant about and had not even considered! It was a big learning at the time, and often one I refer to… Although I don’t consciously speed now, I know that I still do at times, and it has made me realise that when I slip into this, I am not consciously present with myself while driving. Your blog has reiterated to me the importance of this connection, and that regardless of whether or not I am in this car, that I can take this space and stillness wherever I go… something I can definitely work on more and develop!

Beautiful A.M ,’ I realised that the law is there, not to annoy me, or to be flouted for the sake of it, but to keep us all as safe as road laws can, no matter what kind of car you have, what the weather conditions are, and how much traffic is on the road.’, I often go faster than the speed limit, as if the speed limit is unimportant and incorrect and that it’s ok for me to ignore it and go faster, I can feel how arrogant and unsafe this is, thank you.

Reading this brings another awareness to why we drive how we do, thinking we are in our own little bubble so it doesn’t matter. However having been on a speed awareness course which is offered to speeding ‘offenders’ in the UK, my eyes were opened in regards to the care and responsibility I have to take when driving so as to be in regard of myself and everyone else on the road. I learnt this was no different to how I walk down the street and so true what you say here “I realised that the law is there, not to annoy me, or to be flouted for the sake of it, but to keep us all as safe as road laws can, no matter what kind of car you have, what the weather conditions are, and how much traffic is on the road.” Thank you A.M. for sharing this understanding.

Very true Julie, we really go into our own little bubble when we get in a car. I used to live next to a very busy road and was dismayed by how fast people would drive past, never thinking once about the local residents. It was an accident hot spot and some of the accidents involved no other vehicle, they were just caused by the driver of the vehicle going too fast. It taught me many things about driving that I had previously been unaware of, in one sense it was similar to the Speed Awareness course, just in a different format! It is a great comment you have picked out of Anne’s article, because the speed limits and laws of the road are there to keep a flow and harmony to our driving that left unchecked would be mayhem. They are there for a reason and when we choose to stop for a moment and feel the reason, then abiding by the regulation supports everyone, not just our selves.

A great sharing A.M. and shows that true equality extends to everything we do, even how we drive our cars. It shows how easy it is to get lost in our own little bubble and separate from all else. A few years ago I learned a similar lesson. I was caught on a speed camera, not speeding excessively, just above the limit. It showed I had been inattentive, I had missed (not ignored) speed limit sign. I was annoyed at being caught, but the ‘stop’ opened a new door for me. I was given a choice either 3 points on my license or attend a speed training course. I reluctantly choose the latter and muttered all the way to the course. It was the best thing I ever did. I learned about myself, other road users, road signage, road safety and the potential to cause injury or death at different driving speeds. I was shown how to read speed signs and spot potential danger spots. It exposed my weaknesses as a driver: at times disconnected and inattentive. Above all, it made me a more responsible driver. Like you I now drive within the law, not just for my safety but for the safety of all other road users.

Awesome sharing, Kehinde, and a great point you make about the driving “bubble”. It is as if, as soon as we get in our car, we are in a little world of our own, with its own rules, and we can do what we like, and no-one can see us or touch us!
How often do you see someone picking their nose or putting their makeup on or checking themselves out in the mirror or shouting and swearing at people – things they would never do out in public?
It is great to remember that we are sharing the road with everyone else, and that they can see inside the car!

That’s a brilliant sharing Kehinde, I think it’s a great idea to attend a speed training course on driving, may be we should all attended these courses, it may help to improve road safety. I do a lot of driving and some people are in their own bubble as you say and are not taking care and this does put everyone else around them at risk.

It was lovely to connect to your blog AM – I find that things, such as your blog, that make sense make my life so much more joyful. I used to think that ‘common sense’ sounded rather boring and dull but now I realise it’s the opposite – if I slow down and stay with me and am present in what I do during the day life feels so expansive and simple, common sense things become my amazing day.

An inspiring and great blog to read A.M.
I love your humility of seeing how equal-ness and brotherhood can be experienced through your new understanding of how and why law applies for all .
“What part of the law says that it is for everyone but me? Abiding by the law comes from the understanding that we are all equal, and that the law is for everyone, equally so; and if we choose to break it, no matter how special we think we are, there will be consequences for us, as there are for everyone else”.

Great insight and one that I shall put into practice when I get back – I am looking forward to the spaciousness and ease and whatever else is there to discover and feel when I shall also take my foot off the accelerator. You definitely make some very compelling points worth exploring.

What a great revelation A.M., to feel stillness when driving and to feel connected with all. What comes to mind for me is how easy it is for us to choose certain behaviours to keep us separate These behaviours give us a little kick at the time, kind of like a sugar hit, but in reality what they do is keep us disconnected and therefore far away from the loveliness of our own inner connection. When we can start to see what patterns we are choosing that take us away from our stillness, we can then begin to make choices that support our own connection and in turn connection with others.

I agree Donna – you make a powerful point here about how our behaviours separate us. We put pressure on and divide ourselves based on our choices instead of accepting the equality that is presented. You are right that these keep us disconnected and give us a sort of ego or identity which is not really who we are. And it can be as simple as going over the speed limit ‘just because we can’
There is almost an arrogance that comes with this that stops us from being aware or appreciating others .

This is a beautiful blog that for me details what divine timing encompasses as well as the divine laws that govern it all. Thank you for sharing such a practical example of these. I really enjoyed reading it.

Beautiful comment Robyn, we so easily abandon the divine rhythm of life and want to speed it up or slow it down but learning to discover that rhythm again restores a lot of harmony to the body. When we truly stop to feel what is the right speed when we are driving for this part of the road, this area etc, we are learning to feel beyond our four wheels and create a relationship with our environment. It can transform the whole experience of being behind the wheel into a very playful interactive activity.

Dear Anne M, what you write is true – I still love the German system where speed limits tend to be more in tune how fast you can drive on a particular piece of road and some roads have no speed limit. But you are completely right – when you go at 240 there is no stillness, only tension.

Wow! That’s about 150mph! I’ve been in some fast cars but never that fast. The German system sounds fab! Though I agree even as a passenger there is an anxiousness if you are going too fast – which results in a definite stress on the body.

I have to add here my experience of driving fast in a fast car on a highway that is made to be driven fast on. It is possible to go fast, super fast, and stay with yourself and be relaxed in your body, it simply depends on the car you are driving and the highway you are on and of course your awareness of others. Because when you drive fast you have to heighten your awareness for everybody else around you particularly those that drive much slower in the sense that you stay connected to how fast you are in relation to others. So I would say it simply comes back to stay connected, to stay connected with everybody else and of course super present, and in that sense it is no different to any other areas of life.

Awesome reflection in how driving fast doesn’t necessarily mean we are rushing or in tension, I know what you mean. I have driven fast (well not 240!!!!!!!!) but still felt relaxed and present with my body and what is going on around me, and after not having a car for a while I deeply appreciate driving again.

Tony Steenson says:May 7, 2015 at 4:18 am

The only thing to focus on at that speed is the road, I imagine the steering wheel would have finger indentations in it from gripping it so tight. But even we speed at a ‘sensible’ level I know for myself I am holding my body in a tightness and my eyes actually get sore and tired from the strain.

The law is actually something beautiful as you present, it is there to serve us all equally, and keep things organized in our lives. And as I realize it is actually not something the government is telling us to do, we as a society are responsible for them in our everyday lives.

This is a great point, Benkt. It is we who have created these laws – they are there to support as as a whole community, not something that is being done to us – and when we see them in this supportive way, we feel less inclined to break them!

I love what you are saying here Benkt, ‘we are responsible for them in our everyday lives’ and not simply something we feel obliged to abide to (mostly because of the consequences as in paying a fee or losing our license).

Yes great point Benkt – if we all realised that many laws are there to support and keep us safe and serve us all, as you say ‘equally’ so, then self-responsibility would be a natural choice and there would be no pushing the boundaries.

Wow Benkt I can feel what you said in your comment and as Anne also mentioned that these laws are to support us as a whole community – I did not see it like this before so that is for me a good way to look at it. Thanks

Beautifully said Benkt. All road users have a responsibility to care for themselves and others equally on the road and speed limits are but one of the road rules that keeps us all safe and gets us all to where we need to go.

Thank you Anne M
I really love your honesty when you say that the consequences of speeding were felt in your body – uptight, tense, always reactive and anxious about getting caught or slow drivers ahead.
It is fascinating how we can create our own stress just by not doing things equally to others.
I’ve only just started driving again, and my partner can drive quite fast, so at first I felt like I needed to do the same otherwise he would think I was ‘slow’ – but it didn’t feel right and I put a lot of unnecessary nervousness on myself.
Now – I keep to the limits, I love it, and he does not mind at all! You are right that it is about allowing enough space for you to get from one place to then next.

I agree that we often make unnecessary tension for ourselves, for instance I walked to school for a few weeks, and when walking on my own it was fine, but once I met up with the other foot traffic, I began to get frustrated at people walking slowly – but only because I had a preconceived ‘I must get there on time’ rather than just relaxing and enjoying the exercise. I feel there are many times in our lives we worry or become anxious about a situation for no reason, and look back and wonder why we were so worked up.

I totally get what you are saying here – going fast is really fun and exhilarating, but driving slower so that there is no stress on your body and you are aware of everything around you and can enjoy that moment feels amazing. Also totally relate to your last point about leaving on time so there’s no need to speed!

Well said Meg; although driving fast can be really fun and exhilarating, it is short lived. Driving slower (or even just within the speed limit) on the other hand allows us to be aware of how we feel, and everything around us, which is amazing. This applies to everything we do in life as well.

Thank you Anne M I could really relate to this having always enjoyed speeding in the past and the sense of getting away with it until I got caught a few years ago and chose to do a speed awareness course. Since then I have made a conscious decision to leave enough time to be free to drive within the speed limit and am amazed at how this has broadened my driving experience and made it much less frustrating as you so beautifully expressed it: ‘ to experience stillness within while in motion is a far greater joy than any cheap thrill.’

In my youth I was sent to a ‘Drivers Education class’ rather than points on my license and there were all kinds of handouts they gave us, but the one I still remember was this round calculator where you put the speed and then the distance, and it would show you the time to get there…it was a circular slide rule calculator made of paper that did not require batteries. It was simple and showed a point to people that had excuses for speeding; If you are going someplace that is sixty miles away and you drive at 70 in a 60 zone… you would get there in 59 minutes! So, doing 45 in a 30 zone and your only going 5 miles… how much time will you save… maybe a second or two?

It’s so true Steve, there’s really no excuse for speeding – as it makes such a ridiculously small difference in the time it takes us to get somewhere but results in such a stress or tension in the body – not to mention an increased risk of accident and total disregard for everyone else on the road.

What a great subject to talk about – Thanks Anne M for this simple blog about speeding.
Once upon a time, I had a flashy red fast car and loved the thrill and yes I did get stopped by the police.
I love what you say about the Law – that it is there for ALL of us to keep us safe and no one is exempt. We are all equals when it comes to the Law and breaking the law has consequences.
I rarely drive these days as I choose public transport and love it. However, when I do drive I carry out the following:
Adjust the seat to my height
Check that I have enough warmth – usually a soft blanket wrapped from waist down
Check the water bottle is in the slot
Stop and pause
Take a deep breath or two
Feel my body by checking my fingers and toes
Then the car ignition goes on and I check all mirrors and adjust
The above guarantees I am in no rush as the space I have created will support my journey and clock watching is just not needed. How can I be late or feel like speeding when there is a natural state I feel that is making sure I have no tension. Speeding and trying to race somewhere has never worked for me and all it did was leave tension in my body.

Beautiful sharing of the loving foundation you set for yourself before venturing out on the road. When I’m in a rush, all of what you choose to do before setting out, I’m doing as I am driving, which just keeps that rushing, racy energy continuing and magnifying as I drive. Very inspiring Bina Pattel!

These are a great hint in how to release the tension in the body that often leads to speeding. I have found the tiniest details do make a difference and driving can be such a relaxing feeling rather than the chore that we often associated with getting from A to B.

I can really relate to this blog, about 8 years ago I noticed I no longer minded following the speed limit, that I was ok with being like everyone else – like you share the law was there for everyone else not me! Such arrogance, and I can still experience that with driving and other areas of my life. I love it when the motorway is 50mph and is monitored by average speed cameras so everyone has to go 50, the feeling on the motorway is one of ease and no stress. Apparently we actually get to where we want to arrive quicker when the motorway is 50mph as there is less weaving in and out of traffic and stop starting caused by poor driving. Take out the individual need to be faster etc and we all get there faster I am sure that must be a symbol for how we can be as one humanity evolving together!

‘We actually get to where we want to arrive quicker when the motorway is 50mph as there is less weaving in and out of traffic and stop starting caused by poor driving’ – that’s really interesting Vanessa… I’m too young to drive at the moment, but I’m gathering some great tips from this blog and the comments below!

You raise a great point Anne M and I relate well to what you share about feeling the tension when speeding and the focus this requires and how narrow a view we adopt in the process. To drive within the speed limits offers an ease and releases us from the tension of always looking out for that patrol car and leaves us able to hold a stillness within which otherwise evades us when we are holding tension.
“And to experience stillness within while in motion is a far greater joy than any cheap thrill ” inspiring, thank you.

This is powerful stuff Anne M. It’s incredible how making a choice as simple as abiding to the speed limit can completely change how your body feels. I feel your blog doesn’t just apply to driving, but the way many people live their lives too – always in motion, pushing their bodies just that bit too far and creating a lot of tension in the meantime. I notice a huge change in my body when I live like that – I get very exhausted and my body often starts running on nervous tension. Recently I’ve been trying to address that, and boy does it make a difference! Although I’m a novice at this whole, ‘stillness’ thing, even after a day of actually being with my body rather than one step in front of it feels a thousand times better!

Really interesting point Susie – Anne’s example does relate to the way we live. It is normal to push your body and be going non stop all the time, but actually slowing down and not travelling at a million miles an hour could have a very profound affect on our energy levels, the way we feel and how we do things.

Great points, Susie and Rebeccca. It is indeed about the way we are, in and with our bodies (including our car bodies!) all the time. The crazy thing is that speeding does not really get us there much faster – but it certainly makes us go faster on the inside! And we bring that raciness with us when we reach our destination. How much more lovely it is to arrive feeling still and spacious.

Great reflection for us all, as you shared beautifully the law is there equally for us all and it is there for the safety of all. Why do many of us feel, it’s ok to ignore the law and and speed? Great to ponder on this. It is about planning enough time to get to a destination, without having to speed. When we create this space around us, there is plenty of time to get to our destination.

Thank you Anne M I have always love driving too. A long time ago I had some advanced training and with that came the arrogance of “nothing can touch me on the road”. I wouldn’t necessarily drive over the speed limit, but there was a recklessness in the manner in which I drove and a blinkedness that came with that, like I was the only person on the road that mattered – which isn’t true, we all matter – humans and animals alike. What you say about the law being for everyone equally is so true. The laws are there to support us and if we operate within them they do support us and the result is a very enjoyable experience.

I enjoyed reading this honest account of the attitude behind speeding and that feeling above the law. You can really feel how imposing it is when someone comes up behind and over takes impatiently and there is always a relief when that person has passed by, but there is a tension that is left behind. If only we all paid attention to how we really effect others on the roads, it would be an eye opener.

I noticed how ‘cross’ I can become on occasions when other motorists don’t obey the speed limit, tail gate and overtake dangerously, only to find that my trip onto self righteousness is in fact taking my attention away from my own driving. So now I acknowledge that we all have choices, allow them to overtake and at times pull over. I don’t know what is happening in their lives, but I do have the choice to stay present with me and my driving.

Kathie I really agree, there is a huge lack of understanding that is prevalent among us. I know firsthand how easy it is to be judgemental and to not be respectful or understanding of what another person has been through, and it’s ugly.

And I had the understanding that this sense of stillness and space is always there, living within me, if I allow myself to slow down and feel it. The truth of this sentence I can so easily relate to. I was always rushing through life, having never enough time to fit everything in which was an illusion as long as I kept in the ‘rushing mode’. Well I was an accident waiting to happen, and guess what I did have an accident, thankfully not too serious, but certainly what I needed to slow down and when I did, there was always enough time when I became more organised and more self loving. I can’t rush any more, it feels horrible in my body and takes me out of my centre or stillness. Thank you for sharing your delightful blog Anne M.

It is lovely what you have shared and I can really relate to this especially ‘I had all the space and time in the world, and I was on the road with everyone else, sharing the space with everyone equally.’ Years ago I had an automatic car and when I drove it felt like I wasn’t going fast at all, and where I lived at the time all the roads had different speed limits, because I was not aware of this I ended up getting 9 points on my licence (3 points everytime for speeding) in just under 2 months!!!!! Anymore points and I would have lost my licence. I no longer have these points on my licence but is has made me aware of the speed limits for each road which I adhere to now and feel just what you have shared that in doing this. Equally being the word that stands out for me, as it is not just about me and where I need to get to. I love staying within the speed limit now, there is a steadiness, calmness and presence with this … even though my sister and nephews think I drive like a granny!

Anne M so many great points you pose in this brilliant blog. Yes we are all indeed equal and responsible for all choices made. It just takes time and patience sometimes to get to the destination we all will return to and that’s love. Thank you for sharing.

Great blog Anne M, a little while ago I was caught speeding and had to go on a speed awareness course. What a nuisance I thought, but this was not the case. I learnt so much from the course as to the reasons most speed restrictions are in force and how arrogant I have always been in the way I drive. The stopping distance of a car is greatly reduced when sticking to the speed limit, so by speeding no matter how good you are at driving you are still putting others at risk. What right do I have to put others lives at risk?

“What right do I have to put others lives at risk?” you ask Kevin. I’ve often struggled with rules, driving rules were no exception. I thought they were for everybody else, and that it was okay for me to slightly break them, especially if it suited me. You write about arrogance in your comment too, how arrogant was I. After realising that others get affected by how I drive, my behaviour changed, and the freedom Anne M writes about was my experience too.

Ah I have so acted out the same over the years of driving, getting annoyed at dangerous speeding drivers putting everyone else’s lives at risk… until ‘I’ had to get somewhere and ‘I’ was running late – then that was a different story and I was the one speeding! It’s like this separation from the ‘strangers’ on the road and the people we are going to meet, that there is somehow a difference and one is more important than the other – which is absolutely crazy and not true! Really brings home brotherhood and everything we do affects another.

Thanks for sharing Kevin I was not caught speeding but I made a course where you learn how to react in dangerous situations by car such as a person ran on the street and you have to break sharply immediately. There I learned about how important it is to stick to the speed limit like you do. So I was very humble after this training and since then I drove more respectful and as you wrote – what right do I have t put others lives at risk.

I have found something similar whilst driving. I find it so much more relaxing and so easy just to be with my body and the rhythm of the road, the driving, the passing scenery and other cars when I am driving exactly within the speed limit, or sometimes even a little slower. When I drive too fast I feel the tension often quite subtle in my body and not the same sense of stillness and ease. I had got used to not really going into the detail of how long something might take, so I often crammed too much in which meant leaving home with just enough time to make it where I was going. Not a good way to go. I have stopped doing this for the most part and having extra time I realised almost felt foreign to me. It felt great and very spacious but there was also a residue of tension left over from the past momentum of doing things and I had to adjust to living with more space. Fascinating – to me at least!

This has hit a note for me Josephine. I have calculated how long it will take me to get somewhere and then I leave just that amount of time. Then I’m constantly looking at the clock to gauge where I’m at with my schedule. I drive at the speed limit or just over so that I’ll make it in time. Yuck! When I write it all down it sounds hideous! I like what you describe about just being with the body and the rhythm of the road. Leaving 5 mins earlier to allow for this seems like a great gift to myself. And even if I don’t leave 5 mins earlier and I end up 5 mins late, I think the world would cope, especially since the quality of me would be a little more relaxed with less calculation and control. And I’m feeling that this applies to a lot more than just the way I drive…

I can so relate to this, Nikki. I remember when my kids were young and I was always running late for my life and rushed and stressed, that one day the clock in my car stopped working. It was such a relief, that I never had it fixed! Not having a clock to watch created much more ease and spaciousness in me, and allowed me to rest for a moment while I was driving, even if I was running late. So when I got to where I was going, I was ready for what was waiting there.

And fascinating for me too Josephine! Living by the clock, allowing the bare minimum to drive somewhere was, and still can be my normal. But the times where I leave plenty of time and in fact end up with free time at the other end, does feel foreign to me. I hadn’t connected the dots that it was me not yet adjusting to living with more space that was what was foreign, but thank you, I do now.

Hello Josephine, when you body is tense or anxious I have found you drive differently. I have noticed that if I am tense or anxious my arms are tight and almost locked, my fingers are gripped on the steering wheel tightly as well. From this, how I drive into corners etc is ‘tight’ as well and so there is no flexibility in my driving and it feels this is where accidents can happen. If my body relaxed or surrendered then I am ‘more ready’ and flexible in my driving, where as when I was tense as I said there is a set route I am on. So for me if I am speeding then my body is locked and tense and there is no flexibility in my driving. If I stay on or under the speed limit then my body feels surrendered and more ready for anything.

Wow Anne M, there is a lot in this blog that can be applied to pretty much any part in life! The idea of having a speed limit in everyday tasks is an interesting one – whereby the limit is in place to avoid feeling exhausted (Using too much fuel from going faster/like fuel economy in cars ) possibly crashing into things (chairs, tables, stubbing ones toe on the coffee table due to not being aware of our surroundings) and many other possibilities that can happen. And where we can learn to be aware of these sign posts is within the body and how it feels. I reckon I am going to play with this one, thank you!

I love this expansion, Leigh, thank you. Yes, perhaps everything we do in life should be signposted and speed limited – oh wait! it is! – it is called our body. All we have to do is pay attention to the signs, and allow time and space to open up inside us.

A beautiful sharing on how powerful it is, when we stay present and focussed on what we are doing by staying within out ‘limits, rather than racing through to get on to the next thing. The latter creates stress in our lives and tension in our bodies, which is a no win situation.

I can so relate to the enormous difference I feel when my whole body has tensed up, feels rigid, my shoulders are forward and I am stressed because I am speeding, because I am running late… As opposed to cruising with my body open, relaxed and surrendered, enjoying each and every turn of the wheel, bends in the road, and honouring where I position my car on the road, and the flow and feel of the engine as I drive.
It’s a bit like my choice to either sprint to my destination, getting frustrated and needing to overtake others on the footpath, arriving dishevelled, tense and sweaty (and upset that I did so) – or, allowing myself to enjoy a gorgeous walk with nature, connecting with others, and arriving even more lovely than when I left.
I have found that speeding actually never gets me anywhere faster that going according to the speed limit, and that I then need to spend an even longer amount of time recovering from the journey and the harm of pushing in such a way.

Such a lovely sharing, Kylie, thank you. I can really feel the difference between these two ways of being in my body. And yes, the time we ‘save’ in speeding to our destination (which is almost nothing, as Steve Matson shared earlier) is more than ‘spent’ in recovering from the way we got there!

Such a valid point – yes, it’s false economy to get to point A with a rush, champion the timeframe we did it in, without being aware of the time we then need to recover from our haste. The body doesn’t like being rushed or constricted with nervous tension that speeding creates.

This is such a beautiful image Kylie, ‘cruising with my body open, relaxed and surrendered, enjoying each and every turn of the wheel, bends in the road, and honouring where I position my car on the road, and the flow and feel of the engine as I drive’. I will enjoy reflecting upon this as I drive to work today. A very inspiring expression of another way of being with ourselves.

Great to read this Anne I have for so long done the same – sneaking above the limit just by 4 or 5 kms an hour as if to get the better of the world. Sensibly smug and in charge – no one can tell me what to do. What you have highlighted here is that there is a great deal of tension that is present when travelling through the world like this and it seems so selfish to carry on in this way. I have a renewed commitment to travelling to feel the stillness of me not exercise seeming power over the car, the road and other drivers.

Well said Lee. It’s so subtle that feeling, ‘sensibly smug and in charge’, choosing just a few kms above the limit is easily justified to a police officer, and to myself. I’m just that little bit better than another, a little bit of a better driver, I’ll get to my destination a little bit earlier than another etc. I’ve said to myself, ‘no one can tell me what to do’ too. What a tension this creates, what arrogance and what selfishness. I’m committed to driving like Anne now, who wouldn’t be after reading this?

Yes that is a great distinction Lee. We are not really aware of the energy we leave behind us when we swoosh along a road. I am always reminded of that when I see the wind created by lorries whizzing along, all the bushes and trees getting buffeted around. It reminds me that water is a great medium for reflecting the true effects of our movement. If we were driving around in speed boats on water, we would have to drive differently because the wake of everyone’s boats would create havoc. It is just the same in a car only we don’t see it. Driving in stillness and at the correct speed leaves a very gentle wake for others to follow and this alone can make a huge difference on our roads.

What your blog shows me is that there is so much to learn in every moment if we choose too. A great sharing of the simplicity of choosing to live within the world and not rail against it and how much beauty can be gained when we do this. Thank you Anne.

Yes Stevie and Janet. This line stood out for me today as I re-read the blog – “this raciness fell away and I was left feeling a great stillness and spaciousness within me”. And it was reminded to me that this stillness and spaciousness is always there – always – consistently there. We just busy ourselves not to feel it but we have the choice to – as you say Stevie – surrender to the spaciousness.

Honest account Anne.
I think this is a unspoken event that effects pretty much everyone I know. We are always affected by the way other people drive. When we actually abide by the laws that are set in place to give us all common ground we will all be able to feel this spaciousness on the road. However many still make it about zipping in and out of tiny gaps to make it to the next meeting 30secs earlier. The first focus shouldn’t be how long the travel takes but that sharing the road so no one has to feel that ‘on edge feeling’. That is sometimes ROAD RAGE.

Exactly Luke, it is very interesting that even though we’re driving faster, we often only get there a few minutes earlier. This then means the common excuse of ‘I was late’, or ‘I needed to get their with plenty of time’, is thrown out, because it’s not as if driving to an appointment 10 minutes away going 5-10mph over the speed limit will make heaps of difference. Why then do we do it? As Anne has openly presented, could it be for the thrill? Or wanting to feel superior to other drivers?

Beautiful Carmel, to sit in the car and feel the traffic coming towards you as you proceed at an even pace gives an amazing feeling of space and being still in the midst of motion even though we are moving. It can always be like this if we choose to connect with our own stillness and drive from there. Everything seems to work around us and space appears in front of us as though our world time is suspended.

Well said Joshua it isn’t just about us but about everyone. They were talking about speed limits on the radio the other day and the reason they are in place …. to stop people from getting hurt or killed. When we hear stories of parents that have lost children through speeding it puts it into perspective.

Feeling this true equality is a big change. It means, that the constant strive for something better, or more of something for only yourself is fading away, which takes away pressure and brings an enormous relaxation. Suddenly it is enough to be you – which makes life very simple and clear.

Great sharing Anne. I used to drive a scooter which was the fastest way to get through the city. I did not have to speed, but there was always this nervous tension about getting as quick as possible to my destination and there was this feeling of beating the time, which made me feel very efficient. Today I use public transport or walk and feel much more present in my journeys. So I feel I created a spaciousness that I did not have before and from this spaciousness time feels very different, no need to control time anymore.

I used to love speeding and like you Anne got really impatient if I got stuck behind a lorry or a driver abiding to the speed limit and at one time got close to loosing my licence. Before speed cameras it was normal to speed, everyone did it and people would sit on your tail at 80 or 90 miles an hour, thankfully with the onset of speed cameras and the volume of traffic on the road less people speed now. I now enjoy driving at the speed limit and have found the 30, 50, 60 and 70mph are a perfect speed for how I am feeling (unless I am late!) and if I accelerate a lot beyond these limits I can feel my body becoming agitated and anxious.

I agree, Alison, the more I am putting this “driving on the speed limit” into practice, the more I am finding that, if I stray over the speed limit again, I feel tension in my body – my very own internal speedometer!

This is very revealing for me too as I often find myself going faster than the set speed and it certainly does cause a momentum. I actually feel for me that it is a reflection of my whole day and a good marker for me. If I get out of bed thinking how busy my day is going to be then I am already in a momentum from the beginning. This can compound if I get held up in the office and am then running late or have over committed myself with work. By the time I get into the car I am in some anxiousness to be somewhere quickly and as Anne M. has pointed out I miss out experiencing the beautiful stillness in motion which is possible when driving. Thank you for bringing this to my attention and awareness.

I agree Anne, if you rush out of bed and live ahead of yourself according to the busyness you have predicted in your day its easy to feel overburdened and get caught in the anxiousness of constantly pushing the speed limit so you literally run from one thing to the next which makes your day quite obviously a rather stressful and overwhelming.

I can so relate to this blog. I grew up racing old cars around the fields with my brothers and their friends so when it came to driving on the road I brought lots of old habits with me. It took me 3 goes to pass my driving test because I was going too fast each time. If I am distracted by thoughts or not completely in my body I can still let the speedometer get past the required speed for the road I am on, but generally these days I am so much more careful and like you, actually enjoy the feeling of spaciousness and well-being that driving more slowly brings.

Such a revelatory blog Anne. When you shared about that you liked to drive fast on the open road I first had the thought of yes that would be lovely but when I read how much tension it gave into your body I understood how it actually is not truly great to drive faster than allowed. I can relate to feeling tension when I drive too fast for myself, the feeling of ‘I am not in control of the car anymore now’ and also ‘if something would suddenly happen I would not be able to respond adequately.’ It is so much lovelier to drive at the speed that is allowed and be present with everyone who is driving as well.

Gorgeous post Anne based on a real life experience. It never ceases to amaze me what we learn from life when we are open and allow things to flow rather than race to get ahead. Thank you for confirming the ease in which we can live life, if we so choose.

I remember having pain in my body, tensions and muscle pain after an hour in the car. All gone since I drive on speed limit. That’s how I feel in all areas of life right now. I drive on the speed limit of my body by taking care of my rhythms in daily life. Haven’t been sick for 3 years now!

I can really relate to this Felix, I used to have pain in my body when driving and noticed that it was when I was rushing, I could feel that I was pushing my body to get somewhere on time, I often don’t go at the speed limit (sometimes just a little bit over), but Im really feeling how irresponsible this is for myself and everyone.

You share, Ann what I am sure many of us have felt about faster driving. For me its not the thrill of the speed, but because I have often felt a rush and anxiety of being late. I can relate to the frustration of “slower” cars and the feeling that they are in my way. Allowing more time makes a huge difference to the way I feel when I drive and I love that spaciousness in the car that you write about and going with the flow of the traffic.

Thanks, Anne. It is amazing how arrogant we can be when we think the rules do not apply to us. When we open our perspective up to why the laws are in place, it changes from being an inconvenience, and becomes an opportunity for us to participate in the bigger picture. This is a much greater feeling than being able to do what you want.

I love what you share here Ann, and can relate to speeding when I am running late as it feels awful in the body. And what happened so many times, is that the slow car that I just had to pass, caught up with me down the track anyway, so virtually a waste of time and nervous energy.

I drove on the motorway today for the second time, the first time since learning to drive. It was pouring with rain and blowing a gale and my first instinct was to panic, but instead I kept calm and assessed each moment as it came, accepting my mums assistance rather than getting snappy because I was stressed. But even then I could feel myself gripping the wheel and the tension in my body because of being slightly above the speed limit and over taking other cars. My shoulder stated to hurt and so did my fingers, and so I adjusted my seat and just let the traffic and my car flow as it needed to and it was really enjoyable!

Thanks Anne for some great insights. I have found it so true that when I allow sufficient time to drive within the speed limit I arrive much more refreshed and ready to move onto the next task. When I am running late and try to drive above the speed limit, my whole body feels the tension of how I drive, not to mention the irritation I feel at other drivers and red lights etc. When I reflect on this blog I realise that this habit actually reveals to me so much more in terms of how often I get caught up in busyness and doing, rather than creating stillness and then allowing the motion to flow from there.

Wow! This could be the answer to road rage! I loved the way you came to the realisation of the ever present choice between stillness and nervous tension. Lately I have been finding how deliberately I can choose things that will make me a little on edge, leaving home a bit too late, finding things to do at the last minute, having unrealistic expectations of what I can get done etc. When I stop choosing these things the stillness and therefore the awareness, openness and inclusiveness of others is naturally there.

This is such a great point you make, Fiona. That we are deliberately choosing these things to create tension and to keep us from our natural stillness. When we start to see it as a conscious choice, we have an opportunity to change and make different choices – like not squeezing in that extra task before leaving for work, knowing it will make us late. I find that even if I do still make that last-minute choice which makes me late, I can still choose to drive there in stillness, and this brings me back, so I may arrive late, but at least I am still!

As someone who has been caught speeding in the past I can really relate to what you are saying here. The arrogance we can have is exposed as we speed through our communities where children and the vulnerable elderly live alongside us. Looking at what is needed for us all has no room when arrogance is at play. It’s beautiful that you were able to feel this.

Absolutely Ariana, the arrogance and irresponsibility of speeding is exposed when we see the affect it has on communities. I’ve been at the ‘other end of the stick’, and having someone rush past in a blur when you’re just about to cross the road is quite scary and unsettling!

Anne I loved reading this. I could really feel the spaciousness of the drive. When I allow this in myself I feel a great ease and find myself enjoying the drive even when I could go a lot faster because there aren’t any cars on the road. I’m not narrow mindedly focused on getting to my destination which takes all frustration away. A simple unrestrained appreciation of myself and the journey – I detect a metaphor here for life in general.

Oh Anne. Are you my conscience? I can relate to this article like nothing else. Having recently lost my license from an accumulation of speeding fines, and now with less than 2 months to go, I can absolutely appreciate how much tension I have always been in when in the car. It’s automatic, well, the transmission is, but also it’s automatic the moment I step in to my car which mind you is nothing flash, just a zippy little 2004 Corolla, I’m ready to race off, and take the road on like it was my personal track.
Very recently I’ve truly had the opportunity to see just how much nervous tension I create for myself when I leave everything to the last moment, which inevitably keeps me always running behind, which then results in me making up the time on the road, thinking I own it and can anticipate others moves well before they can and essentially get to where I need to be on the very dot or a few minutes late.
You have described the tension perfectly, about having to keep an eye on absolutely everything around you when you’re speeding, it’s what being Jason Bourne must be like…always on high alert and paranoid, whilst appearing calm and in control. But the truth is that it is paranoia and anxiety that is running my body, rather than a stillness, which I’ve come to notice is far more enjoyable than the raciness of before. What I also have noticed since I have not been driving for over a month now, is that it has forced me to be more organised, and well planned because I can’t make up the time on the road when I’m not the one conducting the train. I had an experience the other day where due to my new rhythm being so much more fluent, I was able to walk out the door with an extra 2 minutes to spare which meant my walk to the station was so leisurely I didn’t need to pick up the pace at all, and that set the tone for the rest of my day and my oh my was that better than being/imagining I am king of the road,
The loss of my license has been a real blessing!

That’s a whole new blog Anne – “Learning to leave enough time to get where I am going!” I can relate to enjoying a bit of speed and agree that it’s something to do with the buzz, I feel the effects in my nervous system. Worth trying it out, it’ll be an interesting experiment on my next longer journey!

Agree Rosanna! That’s the next step, leaving enough time to get where I’m going. This is an area I really need to work on. I always assume I can make up time on the road by being extra clever, getting in my own lane, weaving in and out. The truth though, like you, is that it’s just nervous energy built up in my body that doesn’t feel very nice and is basically pointless. 5 minutes more time to be where I need to be and arrive safe and sound isn’t that drastic a concept.

I agree Rosanna that the need to speed while doing any task is reflected and carried into all that I do in the day, so it is not just when driving behind the wheel of a car that you can get that buzz you speak of. Learning to leave enough time for all that I do and not just pushing things to the limit and effectively squeezing every second I can out of every minute so I can get more fitted in feeds the vicious circle of anxiety and overwhelm and is something I definitely need to work on.

Anne, it is lovely to read how you shifted from focusing on yourself to ‘sharing the space with everyone equally’ and how you returned to a real sense of spaciousness and stillness instead of the raciness which you were addicted to.

Anne, I love the perspective of what you share, how speed limits are there for us all and it’s about being together in the world. I feel how individually focused it is when we speed, how we are all about what we can get away with and the tension that exists with that as you say. I love the idea of that spaciousness of which you speak when we take our time, and in doing so give ourselves the chance to truly feel and ‘smell the roses’ so to speak – this is such a gift for us all. And I never considered until reading your blog that in speeding I’m not allowing the space to feel, and as someone has shared above this can be a huge reflection of how we live.

Thanks for your insights, makes me realise how much tension I must hold in my body when I am rushing and checking the speed constantly, and wondering if I will get caught if I am just over the speed limit. And really, all this speeding only makes you get some place a little bit faster, but the risk that is there not just for a fine, but for yours and everyone else’s safety is worth slowing down for.
And most of all, I love how you shared, what makes me more important or different to anyone else.

I love this Anne M and, although I do like to speed sometimes because of the feeling moving fast, I do agree that abiding the law equals to abiding being part of society where we need these laws for the safety for us all. Speeding in a way is taking irresponsible risk not only for ourselves but also for anyone else who uses the same road. How many accidents are being caused by speeding and how much does these affect our society because of all costs related to it, from direct costs to indirect costs because of the delays beng caused by the traffic congestion that are a result of the accidents?

Thanks to your blog I allow myself to come to a deeper understanding of what speeding is about,
– why do we need to feel superior above the people driving normal speeds?
– why do we need the excitement of driving fast?
– why do we need this narrowness of focus that is required to drive fast?
– etc.

When I allow myself to feel that I am an equal user of the roads and that I have the responsibility to drive safely, not only for myself but for everybody else, It makes no sense to me to have an answer on any of the above questions because non of them will justify any of my personal needs to count more than safety on the roads for all of us.

What part of the law says that it is for everyone but me…..? Thinking that we are above the law, or better or special of will get away with it just shows us an arrogance that we carry while in fact we are all equal. Without this arrogance, there wouldn’t be so many speeding tickets…

Thank you for sharing with us Anne. What you have given us is a great example of regaining control of the car after having allowed oneself to be seduced by its power and potential performance. Putting all the usual safety aspects to one side, the improved sense of well-being that you felt as a result of driving more harmoniously with your fellow road-users is ample justification for doing it.

Thank you for sharing Anne, I love going fast, hugging the corners, hearing the engine, etc.. but do find myself at times getting a little on edge when I drive too fast. When I leave myself plenty of time to drive and am in rush you are right everything opens up and the beauty of my surroundings is clear to see instead of just being focused on the road and my destination!

Anne your own self awareness, enabled you to stop, reflect on your attachment to speed and made a choice to change your way of being as a driver. By doing so you began to enjoy driving, and became a responsible driver for your own and road users safety. Better this than being brought to a stop only when a speeding ticket falls on the mat (it’s happened to me) or even worse because of a road accident.

A great article Anne and one that has a very familiar feel for me. I got a speeding ticket and knew exactly when and where I had been noticed distracted by where I had come from, what had taken place and not paying attention to where I was on the road. It also brought up feelings of being ‘found out’ and not being seen as being obedient and well behaved. I am grateful for this stop as I now travel with much greater presence of where I am and where everyone else I share the road with is.

A great article Anne, I can relate with what you share. I love this, ‘just by allowing myself to drive within the road laws, rather than forcing myself to go faster to get somewhere, this raciness fell away and I was left feeling a great stillness and spaciousness within me.’ How wonderful that, ‘ this sense of stillness and space is always there, living within me, if I allow myself to slow down and feel it.’ Gorgeous.

As someone who has collected their fair share of speeding tickets in the past, this is a great post to read. I too now drive much slower than I used to and am more present with the road and its users (on the whole), rather than just trying to get everywhere in a rush because I left things to the last minute. Nervous tension when I drive long journeys causes me to want to snack – a good clue for me.

Anne I love that you bring the arrogance of the motorist to light here. As a pedestrian I observe quality in driving has dropped considerably, failing to indicate unless another vehicle is behind and speeding are both great examples. Each are treacherous and several ‘near misses’ later, I no longer feel motorists are aware of me crossing the road. …
This is a great realisation you share….’I had all the space and time in the world, and I was on the road with everyone else, sharing the space with everyone equally’….brilliant! Thank you

I love this blog. So often we ‘push the boundaries’ to see what we can get away with just because we can when it’s much more respective to others to see that those laws and rules are there for a reason

This is so true Anna, ‘So often we ‘push the boundaries’ to see what we can get away with just because we can when it’s much more respective to others to see that those laws and rules are there for a reason’. This article makes me realise that I have never really respected these road laws and rules,and have always tried to get round them or push them a little bit. Im aware how I can sometimes slow down at speed cameras instead of slowing down because this is the safe, responsible way to drive. My partner drives to the speed limits and it is a pleasure being in the car with him, it feels like a very gentle, careful, considerate way of driving, whereas he does not enjoy being in the car when I’m driving, a great lesson for me – time to slow down and drive at the speed limit, thank you.

Its not difficult to believe that being focussed and attentive to the road makes you feel smarter than the average driver, because whatever speed they are going, most drivers are ‘checked out’, talking on the phone, to the person next to them listening to the radio or just not really focussed on driving. So one could easily justify feeling safer for driving faster and staying more attentive to the road. I also do not believe that road speed limits have anything to do with the true speed that feels most caring for our bodies. Otherwise they would not vary so much. However, I take the point that speeding may create some tension and less space around people, especially if not alert. The most self respectful thing I can do is to remain present and drive in way that provides space on the road for myself and others. Then speed seems to take care of itself.

Anne I’ve also recently been driving at or around the speed limit when I’ve been doing long trips. By leaving myself plenty of space and time I’ve ended up getting to my destination feeling alive instead of drained. I’ve also noticed less frustration on the motorway and a much simpler journey. Before hand I would likewise be pushing my driving to the limits knowing I was doing too much but only slowly down if I thought I would get caught – no wonder I would end up exhausted.

Thank you for sharing so honestly Anne. I love how you expose the arrogance that is attached to breaking the law and exceeding the speed limit and the equality and sense of brotherhood that is felt when we abide by the law. living in a way that builds harmony on the roads knowing that we are all in this together it really is a microcosm of the wider world.

It is only recently while driving on the motorway that I realised how I allow others to dictate the speed I actually drive at times – no wonder I feel so tense/anxious and experience physical pain in my body. Cars just appear out of no where right up to my bumper, and I can feel an aggressive almost bully tactics for me to move faster out of their way. It is only a few days ago on this very same motorway that again I observed and experienced this same scenario. I chose this time to gently focus on me being much more still (gently breathing) and not give way to the temptation to speed up and play this speed game. Wow! what a difference this time the driver backed right off. Smiling as in your words Anne I experienced “stillness within while in motion”.

It is so true Anne in that when we believe that the law need not apply to oneself we create an arrogance that some how we are above the law and thus above everyone else and we find ourselves removed and separated from humanity. The essence of the law is to hold everyone equally and thus show the existence of brotherhood.

Beautiful Anne. This makes perfect sense. It is the same when I am rushing to get somewhere on foot. Everyone can get in the way and this leads to frustration and rage. But if I slow down and accept the pace of those around me I have time to be with myself and choose movements that are less rushed and less angry. Effectively I can give myself time to feel good! This could apply to anything!

“In this space that I created by driving within the speed limit, just by allowing myself to drive within the road laws, rather than forcing myself to go faster to get somewhere, this raciness fell away and I was left feeling a great stillness and spaciousness within me. And I had the understanding that this sense of stillness and space is always there, living within me, if I allow myself to slow down and feel it.”- Wonderful blog Anne. Great reminder of the benefit to slow down and drive within the speed limits. This also applies to when doing any task. Is it done in urgency so anxiousness kicks in; or is it done in gentleness so time is spacious.?

What you have described has been similar to my own experience. Whilst I loved the thrill of speeding, I was always tense. A more ‘lawful’ drive is very much the way to go and much less racy and stressful.
“What part of the law says that it is for everyone but me?” Awesome question Anne.

Thanks A.M I relate to your story. I enjoyed the thrill of speeding and generally getting away with breaking the law due to listening intently to my sixth sense. I must say it has served me well in many cases. But who is it truly serving? Me and me only, this does not make sense to when this world is about all of us, not just one. I enjoy abiding by the law now and not just to avoid getting caught. I can never bring myself to throw even a tiny piece of gum out of my car window anymore because I know this is a huge act of disregard to everyone else even though it may not get noticed, it just feels so wrong to do this now.

I’ve never been one to follow rules unless they made sense to me. But I see that this perception or approach is based on my own beliefs and ideals of how I want the world to be and operate. It is not seeing that we are a group of people and that rules are guidelines for everybody in the group, leaving no one out. My philosophy was only ever about me, leaving everybody out or at least to their own devices. Ouch. Having exposed this in me, I feel a change in my body, a new feeling that I am part of something much bigger than myself. Seeing rules as guidelines for everybody with no exceptions gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling of comradeship, family. And with that comes a stillness and steadiness in how I go through life’s activities. A much nicer way I think than going it alone.

A.M loved what you have written. Admittedly we all have driven quicker than we should do. Getting from A to B at speed would save you about 7 mins off your journey. You never know if you are being followed by an unmarked police car, and then pulled over, which could cost you your licence, and not just for speeding. How about careless driving or dangerous driving, could be their radar.
How many people who speed think – ‘I am precious cargo; could have a family at home that I love and care for and they care for me, and they would like you home in one piece’.
Go with care on your journey.

Great blog Anne, I can relate to pushing the speed limit when I think I can get away with it, but I have never thought about how that brings a tension into my body – which, upon thinking about it, I know that it does. I’ll definitely be more aware of this next time I feel the urge to speed – thank you for sharing!

Anne what a revelation that driving within the speed limit is actually more in harmony with other road users. So many things we do which when we stop, and feel the impact either on our own body or that of others we wonder why we ever did that. Great blog because it asks me to consider what might I still be doing in this way. Thanks

I can relate to the tension you describe Anne when driving too quickly – even if it is at the speed limit, I find I can try and ‘push it’ if I know it would be safer/easier to drive 5 or 10 mph below the limit, and end up feeling anxious/nervous, especially as I am only relatively new to driving

I love the point you are raising here, Jessica. I have found myself often driving only a few klms per hour too fast and wondered why I always did that? If 120 is allowed why did I always put the cruise control at 124? It certainly puts a push and a drive in the body. And this can be there if I drive at the ‘right’ speed. So I am learning with everything that the rhythm (the quality) I do things in is super important.

I have had very similar experiences to you, Anne. I always had a history of driving too fast, getting away with it, most of the time, and feeling the thrill of the car fast on the road. I tend to drive slower now, and I know I am so much more with myself, when I stay at the speed limit. I now dislike driving too fast because I can feel the raciness within me, as well as the car, and it doesn’t feel good anymore.

I love this Anne. I have come to love driving on the highway while I was living in the US as the speed limit was normally around 65mph and as you describe the traffic is going in a certain rhythm, I was always very relaxed and able to enjoy things around me. Now, living in Germany I sometimes get caught up in the limitlessness of speed, as we literally have no speed limit on many parts on the highway. So your blog is a very good reminder for me to actually stay with my speed limit, in the sense of where is my ‘limit’ at any given moment that I am driving before I start tensing up in my body and only the street ahead of me becomes the sole focus point. Thank you.

That’s interesting Esther, I can also see for myself living in Australia where we have set speed limits that it is often the energy of the other drivers around me that I can get caught up in. I can feel when someone is rushing behind or around me and I will often feel a tension in my body at this time, sometimes choosing to enjoin and rush along with them but it never feels worth it as for that moment I have driven my body in a way that it wouldn’t ever choose to do.

I have been a bit of a speeder in the past, however I often got caught. I can relate to so much of what you have shared Anne. I have enjoyed slowing down and driving the speed limit which has instead offered me the opportunity to connect with my ‘stillness whilst in motion’. I realise that driving the speed limit is also a responsible loving and caring choice for myself and the community that I am part of, not above. Thank you Anne for sharing this beautiful revelation which has called me to deepen my commitment to honor the joy of my stillness where ever I am, and that every moment provide us with the opportunity to choose this.

It’s a great point you have made Anne, about feeling your above the law. It’s true that abiding by the law comes with a realisation that we are all equal and have the same laws to live by- it’s a great way to look at it and brings an understanding to why at times I don’t follow the laws. Sticking to the speed limit would be way less stressful- and there’d be no slamming on the breaks when seeing a police car come up. Talk about less tension !

I had a great realisation this morning. It was bank holiday and so not many cars on the road when I drove to work. I used to blame other road users when I would get caught up in the “rush hour” to get to work, but there was no-one else to blame this morning and I got caught in my own “rush hour” as I could feel a drive in me to get to work on time.

My speedometer reads a few km higher than what speed I am actually travelling. My GPS however tells me the speed I am actually doing and so I always set my cruise control to what the GPS says. When I look at my speedo I like the thrill of the idea of speeding, even though technically I am not. I very much relate to what you have shared about being fixated on speed, and people getting in my way! I have had moments where I think ‘just slow down, what’s the big rush’ – and have felt the stillness that comes with this also. The funny thing is, I’m rarely every running late for anything but I feel such an urgency to get places! A little too preoccupied with time and ‘making the most of it’ perhaps. Thanks for the inspiration Anne, I’m going to practice enjoying being with me while I drive…

Thanks for your comment Brooke, I can so relate to rarely being late but feeling such an urgency to get places. There is such a lot of nervous tension for me around being on time. It feels like it is tied up to a belief around not wanting to let people down. The thing is that when I rush, I feel so tense that when I arrive the person I am meeting doesn’t get to be with the real me but a version of me that is stressed and overwhelmed and I’m pretty sure that’s not the me they wanted to spend time with 🙂 I too am going to practice enjoying being with me while I drive

Love this Anne, and I’ve also experienced the same. When I drive at the speed limit, when I’m not in a rush because I haven;t packed too much into every moment squeezing myself for time, driving can be a gorgeous meditation (with eyes open) of me connecting with me. Driving is no longer just about me getting from a to b, it’s time for me to be with myself. Pretty priceless.

That’s a great way to look at it Katerina, as a time to be with oneself… how often have I tried to cram so much into that drive time – Phone calls, audios, quick bit of lippy! There’s a great opportunity to look at what’s going on in our day if we’re not able to focus on driving while we’re driving! Getting better, but Anne’s blog has got me giving more focus to driving with me.

I have felt the same Katerina, driving has become a great marker for me. I started to always get in my car with awareness of my body and this rhythm has become part of my everyday. My car seat has an imprint that brings me back to tenderness. My hands then gently touch the steering wheel and I can feel me coming back to my stillness. This has been great for me, as I’m still trying to get my morning rhythm to calmness as I leave the house with kids in tow.

I really enjoyed reading this blog AM. I have always driven quite fast and particularly when I was younger. I remember at the end of long car journeys being tense and tired if I have been rushing and driving too fast.

I can so relate to this Anne. I have always felt to drive faster than the speed limit as if it was my right to do so. I have come to realise through reading your blog that I have done this with no regard for the safety of myself or anyone else on the road. Arrogance and ignorance I think we call this. Anne it is so true with what you say about not leaving enough time to go places and then having to speed to make up time. When I leave enough time to get ready before going places there is a feeling of calmness in my body without the horrible tension/anxiety I use to feel. Once this is known it is a matter of choosing which way you want to be on the roads and in life.

Being on the road WITH everyone else – this is key for me, thank you for highlighting this Anne. Its often been too easy to jump in the super capsule to race off with a sense of ‘I’m (virtually) untouchable here on my solo mission’, thats of course up until the blue lights start flashing behind you. How much more smooth and effortless the ride becomes when the angst is taken out of the drive(r).

What is it that happens when to climb into all that steel that makes you the Knights of old going out to do battle… and you were just going down to shop for a loaf of bread and carton of milk. Cars have made us feel invincible and today they are so smooth and quite you can loose the sense of speed. By falling for this false environment of comfort, have we forgotten that we are still controlling a ton of steel at speed. The long arm of the law has a way of giving you a full stop and marker… on your license of were you at the time.

Since reading this article I have changed the way I drive to work in the morning. Choosing to be much more aware of my fellow drivers, and actually sticking to the speed limit which has lead me to arrive at my place of work feeling far less agitated and actually far more prepared for the day. Thank you for sharing.

I like the feeling of that Golnaz – moving together in a nice flow and with a nice rhythm. I get the same feeling when I go in the subway with lots of people. When I relax into being with all of them it feels like we are one big family travelling.

Anne, I could have written this blog 😀 – truly, I know exactly what you were talking about and I had the same realisations like you. I know this kind of playful feeling of, I have it all under control and I will get away with it no matter what I do- I don´t need to follow the rules, because I am too smart and too aware. Until I felt how much tension that caused in my body, I decided differently. My whole driving changed- in Germany there are roads where we can drive as fast as we can and I feel always into, what speed does feel right in my body this day. If I have to focus too much, that no one is crossing my way I slow down. If old behaviors sneak in, I am always open what that situation wants to show me. Really great learning on the street and never ending unfolding.

After reading your blog yesterday morning Anne, I had a lovely drive to work. I felt so much part of the world, sharing the drive with everyone else on the road, enjoying the sights on the way and time was not an issue. This is definitely a great way to take myself to work and everywhere else I go.

Anne M, I was having a conversation with a friend last night who had recently done a speed awareness course and she was describing something similar. She was explaining how a ‘slow’ sign has not been put on the road to ‘annoy us’ but simply because someone has lost their lives and the authorities do not want a second person to lose their life. When we see the road signs like this we can see them as a great support rather than something to irritate us.

As well as keeping within the speed limit another thing that feels lovely is adjusting the seat in your car, the other day I was wrapping up a present in my car and needed to move my seat back, it felt a lot more spacious so I left it that way : )

Great blog Anne M, and one that has inspired me to put my driving under the microscope tomorrow morning. There was a lot of driving involved in the work that I was in for many years, and although I was never a huge speedster, I always seemed to be leaving myself short of time, and thus created the need to speed just a little more than the speed signs indicated, usually arriving stressed and anxious. And I am sure that a little bit of arrogance also made its way into my driving habits over this time. My whole way of driving has changed so much over the last few years, and I now prefer to take my time and enjoy the journey, and of course, leave myself enough time to get to where I want to go; and when I arrive it is with no tension or stress. But I still will be observing my driving tomorrow!

I found that the blog gave me a lot to ponder on too. Today I had a long drive and I remembered reading this blog and observed how I felt when I kept to the speed limit and at times even slower than the maximum limit. Since I used to get impatient with ‘slow drivers’ I was carrying the belief that if I drive slower than the speed limit I would get annoyed behaviour from other drivers. However that did not happen and instead the journey was far more harmonious with everyone on the road and I felt great within myself.

Anne, this is so like reading my own story and relationship with fast cars and speeding… almost verbatim. The main difference being I clocked up a lot more speeding tickets not to mentioned the anger, frustration and rebellion that can be associated with that. I have since those days slowed down and at times felt that great stillness, space and joy that you speak of and it does indeed have an expansive beauty that far exceeds the tension filled, anxiety invoking thrill of driving fast. This blog is a powerful and inspirational reminder for me to be more consist in bringing deeper awareness and grace to my time behind the wheel.

I loved your blog, when you described when there was an impulse to drive at the speed limit, the words that came to me were: ”stillness in motion” driving along but in union and harmony with every-body and your body. Thank you Anne for your insight-full blog.

Anne I am such a Nanna when I drive that even your description of how you used to drive made me anxious! Interestingly my family say that I’m dangerous because I often don’t even go as fast as the speed limit. But I just love to take my time and really hate the feeling I get when I haven’t allowed enough time to drive somewhere at a relaxed pace.

Thank you Anne. When I drive now it is with a dedicated purpose that I am in the most comfortable alert position taking in everything around me, while being present with me (my body) consistently as possible.

Thank you Anne M, for speaking out about what abiding by the law actually means. I have never been able to understand why so many people go into a rage about police cameras. The way you describe it is so clear, the law is there for the benefit and safety of us all, why should we complain if we are caught out for taking risks with our own lives and everyone else’s? Breaking the law feels arrogant and stupid to me and I don’t feel good about myself when I do it, whereas the feeling of ease you describe when driving at an even appropriate pace is loving, and I have always felt that when I choose it and experienced that great pleasure you speak of.

I agree, Joan, “I have never been able to understand why so many people go into a rage about police cameras”. To me it just makes sense, if they are driving too fast, then it is their own fault. Yes, the laws are there for the benefit of us all. Unfortunately people are always in so much of a rush nowadays, and don’t allow time to do their journeys.

Great blog, I love the part where you mentioned being in stillness while in motion. This is something very incredible, once we apply it to our everyday life. It eliminates stress, creates fluidity, efficiency and ease. It is such a loving and supportive way to move to carry out our everyday tasks.

Thank-you for this window into how you drive your car.
Indeed an all too familiar window into how you drive your body.
More often than not when i am rushing to get somewhere in my car i get stuck behind a slow lorry or car. A terrific opportunity to stop, reflect on how racey I am feeling and choose to allow my journey to be what it is and as you well say Anne leave more time to enjoy the trip.

I agree Lucinda. Like you it’s interesting for me to realise when I feel the need to speed on the road other cars do indeed get in my way of where I am going and slow me down. This is something that I realise happens in all that I do when I am being impatient and rushing and the external world seems to conspire to put obstacles and challenges in my way to slow me down. Now that I think about it maybe that’s exactly what needs to happen and I should honour that.

I can relate to this Anne M in the way that you speak of being fast in your moments. I have been noting myself to take short cuts with the smallest of things in my life and the sense behind it is that ‘I have somewhere else to be.. the next thing’. But when my mind is focussed on the next thing, I stop enjoying the moment I am in and also cease to feel the space I have to not only get everything done that I need to, but enjoy everything about me in the process.

I am usually early for appointments and take my time, but I have had two experiences recently where I have made choices which have potentially made me late. This brings up lots of anxiousness, as I hate to be late, so then I found myself driving too fast, feeling tense, which not only is breaking the law but so dangerous on the little country roads where I live. Strangely enough, when I am late and begin to find myself driving too fast there is always someone that pulls out in front of me and drives slowly, whether it be a tractor, learner driver, lorry, horse and cart or someone religiously sticking to the speed limit, or even worse, unmanned road works in the middle of nowhere! After initially feeling frustrated, I ask myself, could it be that I am being asked to s-l-o-w down, to connect back to my body and take my time rather than remain impatient and potentially putting myself and others in danger, not to mention the hardening of my body. The Universe supports us all the time with signs if we choose to be open to it, and more often than not, if I choose to let go of my being in a hurry I still reach my destination on time, and there was no need to rush in the first place. This is a good analogy for life, drop the impatience, accept myself for where I am, and slowly but surely proceed with my journey.

Anne M I can relate to sometimes feeling a tension when I am driving. For me its usually associated with not having left enough time to complete my journey. There always seems to be a rush to ‘get’ to my next destination, even when walking. This blog is great to bring awareness to ‘how’ I do things. It makes such a big difference.

Oh wow I know that sort of driving – always a bit too fast… While reading your blog I was wondering why I want to be ahead instead of being a part of the flow and found: I am not really embracing to be a part of this world and society – I want to be something special, one who is about the laws…but we are all in, part of the world, responsible for how it is. To choose to become a part of the flow is creating space in me and around me… yes to take my place and responsibility is powerful because I am not ahead of myself but with me. Feels like I sit down in me and my parts get together…Thats great!

Its amazing, the correspondence between how we are behind the wheel and how we choose to live. You show us a clear view Anne of how it is to choose ‘raciness’ in our lives. I love the sense of flow and connection that comes in this other way of driving you mention. This is such a contrast to the individualistic tunnel vision of speeding through. When you drive with stillness it complements and supports everyone not just you.

I love what your blog is showing us, that we need to take responsibility for how we are when on the road, not only for ourselves but for everyone. It’s true too that how we are with ourselves can be a reflection of how we drive. It’s a good reminder for me to stay connected in every moment and to allow the time needed to get to where I am going.

Anne this is such a great blog – and exposes the arrogance we can indeed have thinking that we are ‘above’ certain rules or they do not apply to us. I can definitely relate to having had this feeling at times. I can also relate to what you have felt in the spaciousness that opens up by really taking care & having presence whilst driving. I too often get caught up in my head and focussed on getting from A to B (and running late too). There can be a feeling of anxiousness in my body, that would often translate to anger if I missed a green light, or if a slow moving vehicle pulled in front of me. Now even if I am running late I realise that venting these negative emotions at all around me is indeed serving no purpose but to contribute to the already large amounts of road rage out there – and won’t really get me there any quicker. Driving with more awareness of my fellow brothers on the road, and with my focus on making it a safe & respectful experience for everyone has been revolutionary. Thank you for this blog Anne!

Such a fun blog, Anne and one to which I totally relate. Love how you bring through the importance of equality. I’m especially enjoying your questions: “What part of me thinks I am above or exempt from this law? The part that thinks I am smarter, more alert, have a better car – that the law does not apply to me?”. How applicable this is to so many areas of our lives. And we might feel like we are ‘getting away with it’, but in truth we are copping it at some level in the reactions we go into and the tension it creates in our bodies.

I have noticed on those days when I ignore the speed limit I go into an arrogance of “I don’t care”. I clearly know the speed limit and blatantly ignore it. Something inside kicks in to stubbornness and a feeling of ‘I’ll do what I like regardless of how this may impact another.’ Jenifer, I also connected this to other parts of my life where the same arrogance is present.

So true Anne, learning to slow down a bit and feel at ease behind the wheel is quite a breakthrough. I love this sentence “And to experience stillness within while in motion is a far greater joy than any cheap thrill.” So true, when we allow ourselves to stop pushing and rushing, we can come home to the most delicious stillness inside that makes time slow down and the world open up; definitely an art form! Thank you for your article, it will remind me on my way to work that driving within the speed limit can truly nurture me during my journey so that I could if I chose, get to work feeling open and still, and most importantly tension-less. What a gorgeous way to start the day.

I loved reading “Because I was driving at the same speed as everyone else, the whole road opened up around me. No-one was getting in my way, I had all the space and time in the world, and I was on the road with everyone else, sharing the space with everyone equally.” This is a stark contrast to the experience of most people on the road.

Hello Anne and a great topic to talk about and one close to my heart for many reasons. I love cars and really enjoy driving but don’t really enjoy driving fast and in fact never have. What I have found for me is that anytime I am ‘over’ the speed limit I am anxious and tense. The moment I drive the speed limit my body is relaxed and it has let go. I noticed as you say, always being on edge looking for Police etc when I was speeding but now driving within the speed limits allows to in fact really enjoy the drive. Plus now whenever I see the Police I can wave to them and not cringe and wonder if they have caught me. To me driving within the limits brings a conscious presence to driving, the moment I’m off thinking about something else while driving then usually I’m speeding. There is a lot more care in how I drive now and it is far more enjoyable. I still drive fast and high powered cars but it’s not for speed, it’s for the enjoyment of driving itself. Thanks you Anne.

The difference between the speed limit and your actual speed creates tension. It’s like biting off more than we can chew, then working hard to swallow the large mouthful, generally not that pleasant an experience with the potential of choking.

Anne I love your sharing in this blog. I also have found that when I drive at the speed limit, and have allowed time for me to arrive at my destination, then there is no stress whatsoever. As you have shared, it seems as if the road just opens up, no one holds me up, and all just seems to flow. I love driving like that now, love being with myself, and feel it contributes so much to me being able to be in conscious presence. “And to experience stillness within while in motion is a far greater joy than any cheap thrill” – I totally agree.

Anne, thank you. You have presented much here for me to feel into as another driver who loves to go just that little bit over the limit when on the highway. You have inspired me to also try travelling at the legal speed limit and feel what happens. I know I will have to let go of the sense of achievement that I’ve grown attached to in saying how quickly I got to a destination and seeing if I can do it quicker next time.

‘Because I was driving at the same speed as everyone else, the whole road opened up around me. No-one was getting in my way, I had all the space and time in the world, and I was on the road with everyone else, sharing the space with everyone equally.’ This is real life being equal with everybody living in harmony together with Universal Laws. How something like driving can be a synonym for our lives. And how arrogant we are when breaking the law. Thank you Anne M for this humble making blog.

Great blog Anne. Whilst I do not drive at 120, I still have similar feelings of the anxiousness on the road, wondering if there will be a police car, other cars slowing me down…I realised I’m often pushing the speed limit, driving at what I could probably get away with. I come in and out of driving like this and have periods where I am simply in the flow of the drive. I can really feel the difference when comparing the two styles of being while driving and I know which one feels better in my body. I spend an hour in the car most days and I’m beginning to really enjoy this time. Thank you for offering me a different way in which I can adjust my driving and that hour each day can be spent slightly differently .

Thats nice Nikki. “I spend an hour in the car most days and I’m beginning to really enjoy this time” Ive really begun to enjoy myself in these long drives as well as before it was filled with so much anxiousness, and a desperation to arrive at the place where I am going.

Your blog is very interesting Anne. I am sixty five and have emphysema. I still have a good quality of life but I have had to learn to pace myself according to the capacity of my lungs. I am not very good at running and I like to be early so that I don’t ever have to rush to arrive at an appointment stressed and out of breath. So I always leave early and drive 10 kph below the speed limit.

Thanks Anne fro sharing you discovery that has kept you from the stillness within. I have the same tendency to be racy, I seem to not leave enough time, that it throws me in a flurry of raciness. It’s a work in progress to get my rhythm right so my stillness can be felt and not over shadowed. Since it has been in my awareness I’ve been astounded how much I was running in raciness. It’s a feeling of expansion to feel how beautiful my stillness is and that it can be felt in all I do.

Great blog Anne. I loved the line ‘the feeling I was ‘getting away with it’.’ I can so relate to this in so many areas of my life not just in relation to driving on the road. I too have changed much about the way I drive as well as many other things in my life as I came to understand that we never truly get away with anything and that there are always consequences for our choices.

So true Melinda. On the road, we are all learning the responsibility required to live together. All public space highlights the level of irresponsibility we may be in as a society. When we look at public toilets, for example, another shared space, we are immediately reflected the level of irresponsibility and lack of care that is deeply embedded in society. Some public toilets are down right disgusting.

Very true Joel and Matilda. I having been taking more care driving since reading this blog and my awareness of myself as well as everything around me has been expanded when driving, and I have felt in a gorgeous flow with others on the road that when I drive in a rush I tend to not experience.

Anne this example of speed limit is so great both realistically, and symbolically. Reducing the speed is something I’ve been working on too, and not fighting but allowing the stillness within to be felt, your words here: “And I had the understanding that this sense of stillness and space is always there, living within me, if I allow myself to slow down and feel it”. Feeling this stillness and spaciousness within the body is unbeatable, and I’ve found naturally inspires to deepen its quality away from the otherwise tension of speed. Gorgeous.

This is a great blog, there are many of us that can relate to what you have shared Anne. The example you gave can be taken and applied to many other areas of our lives in our day where we are not in our stillness and rushing off to the next event or activity. Thank you for sharing the joy of stillness and what it is to be with ourselves Anne. So simple yet truly profound.

….And furthermore Anne (!) , I see that abiding by the laws of the road and its ‘road system’, is actually similar/same as to abiding by the laws and ‘road system’ of the body – all beautifully designed to bring about an order and harmony or re-navigation that supports and keeps us (all) safe.

I once drove from London to the Lake District at an even pace all the way, feeling the stillness in my little car and letting the traffic come and go around me. It was the most beautiful journey I have ever undertaken and I arrived at the other end feeling as fresh as when I started. It showed me what is possible for me if I choose it.

Through the experience shared here in this blog I feel inspired of the significance in living in harmony with everything I do. To maintain a widened vision and awareness of the world around me and not just ‘my world’.

“And to experience stillness within while in motion is a far greater joy than any cheap thrill…” How about that, to feel a stillness, feels so amazing that those short term buzzes that we get from pushing ourselves and going into tension, pale in significance – Thank you for sharing your experience.

Part of the resistance to staying at the speed limit and going slightly over feels like it is a social ‘get back’ to the police and law. Do we hold resentment towards the law or police and feel hard done by from an event that has occurred in the past. Is it a reaction to have been treated a certain way by police when you were actually doing nothing wrong and therefore driving faster and getting away with it is just ‘getting one up”.

I can so relate to all that you share about driving at the speed limit ( saying that I do sometimes go a few miles over) but I do not drive fast, and I really do not like the feeling of other people driving over the speed limit around me. I can feel a real sense of disregard, and imposition, for myself, other people, nature, and even the drivers themselves and their family – what if anything was to happen because of the speed they are driving at. You can feel the anger, pressure, stress or rage when someone is driving behind you and wants to get past, it doesn’t feel great at all and is deeply harming. There is something definitely to be said for the joy, spaciousness and ease that driving at the speed limit creates and also the honouring of other people and equality.

I have a longish drive to commute to work everyday, through built up areas and out in the country. And what I have come to love about this drive, is driving with me, not to get anywhere, not to rush or stress, but to simply enjoy each moment, myself , and appreciate everything in and around me. I feel blessed everyday.

Yes, Gyl, driving is no longer seen or felt as a waste of time, an inconvenience, or something we have to do, but another glorious opportunity to be with ourselves and with life. And the more we bring this quality of stillness into all our movements, the more everything we do in life becomes a blessing, and a glorious opportunity to be with ourselves and with life.

Inspired by Anne’s awesome article, I tried a little experiment this afternoon when I got called into work. It’s a 30 minute drive thru 50, 60, 80 and 100km/hr speed zones – so I thought it would be interesting to observe my speed over the drive. I expected that the focus would mean I was more connected during the drive and let go of the rush I’m often in BUT the results were a bit of a wake-up… I hadn’t realised just how often I’m not actually present when driving! I would check the signs, check my speedo and the road, then all of a sudden I’d drift off into thinking about all the work I had to do for the client when I got there, I’d look back at the speedo and my speed had crept up. At other times I’d be a bit distracted by the scenery and I’d look back to the speedo to find myself driving a little below the speed limit. I was actually cracking myself up by the number of times I caught myself doing anything but concentrating on me, the speedo and the road! This was an awesome experiment and I’ve definitely clocked this as something to bring more attention to each day – and not just when driving – I’d recommend giving it a go.

Great experiment, Hannah. I too notice that I don’t pay as much attention to what I am supposed to be paying attention to as I like to think I do – and the speedo is a great reflection of where my attention is (not) at!
With practise, though, it does become more natural to drive on the speed limit, and I find that if I stray over it a little, the tension in my body is a great marker, which brings me back.

Ah, Ben, “a proper man”. Who is that, exactly?
Real men drive cars that suit their bodies, not their ideals of what a man should be.
And so do real women. One of the greatest things I did was to change cars – I was driving family cars for 15 years and now my kids have grown and have their own cars, I have a very sexy sports car!

Anne, what an amazing blog. I can relate to both sides you have shared here, the raciness of going beyond the speed limit and all that this brings into my body i.e. anxiety, tension and racy thoughts, and sticking to the speed limit, feeling there is no need to push or rush and the space and stillness this creates in me. I find a big part of this is my preparation before a trip, how I am before I get into the car. Have I allowed enough time to get to where I am going without needing to ’speed’, and how was I in preparing for where I am going. i.e. was I already racy and anxious, or choosing that spaciousness and stillness that I know supports me to feel who I truly am. Thank you for this powerful reminder this morning to honour time and my rhythm.

So true, Anna, that allowing enough time to get where we are going is key here, and something I am still working on! It is amazing when we start to realise how much time and energy we put into making ourselves racy, and keeping ourselves away from that enormous well of stillness inside us. I get up early in the morning and still try and cram too much into the space, so that I am often running a little late for work. Since committing to driving within the speed limit, no matter what the time is, I can now appreciate and return to that living stillness within.

It is a lovely feeling letting go of that constant tension in driving, which I used to have as well, and to actually think that it was OK??? Now I also enjoy that feeling of respecting the limits, and consequently being much more with myself as I drive … now that’s really self –loving!

Driving is a great reflection; whilst I am sitting fairly still, I can be anything but as has been demonstrated by the comments in this blog if they go unchecked our bodies will stay in motion even when we are sitting still. Driving is one of the best reflections of my stillness that I know. I can sooo relate to your experience Anne. These ordinary experiences have so much to teach us if we are present to them. Waiting is another one and is that not a subject you have also written about!

On reading this again Anne, I realised that whilst I do not normally drive over the speed limit, I do love the feeling of accelerating from zero to the speed limit. Having a powerful car has allowed me to do this but I can feel how when I am doing this I am going into a hardness and a push to get to top speed. Other drivers sometimes see this as an invitation for a race which feels awful. So now, feeling how unsupportive it is for myself and everyone around me, I shall choose to drive at a speed dictated by my body and not how powerful my car is.

I love how you were able to feel the stillness Anne when you slowed down and connected to you. I am a bit of a “granny” driver but there are times when I become distracted in thoughts when driving and am not present with myself. Lately if I observe a police car it is a not a reminder that I am driving too fast but a reminder that I am not in that stillness with myself.

“trying to fit too much into each moment” has been my lifetime ‘disease’ too, Anne, and yes, it does lead to a lot of unnecessary tension. I know the sensation of getting frustrated with being held back by other drivers, and have seen it tip over to become dangerous in some people, with whom I no longer felt safe being a passenger. Driving within the limits has been a joy for me too, as all that extra energy and focus that was formerly taken up by ‘watching for the boys in blue’ is now available to enjoy being me, the contours of the land, the flow of the road, the meaning of everything around.

What a great read Anne. Your blog helped to realise how often I would drive slightly over the speed limit and that this was usually due to a little level of nervous tension in my body to get to places on time not because I was running late, but I feared there would be traffic jams on my way that I wouldn’t be able to control.
Your piece has shown me that being present in the moment allows me the opportunity to appreciate more of what is happening around me at that moment and less on worrying about the movement of the traffic.

Anne, I can so relate to your love for speeding. Living now in Australia it is called speeding. In Germany I called it love for driving fast, but never reckless or dangerous. When I drive faster I am much more aware and present than when I dodle along a freeway with 100km/hr. In my area there are little towns here and there with open county roads between them. I learn to take more time to get somewhere and instead of rushing and speeding I rather obey the speed limits. I find rushing and time stress detrimental to my health and wellbeing.

Anne, I can so relate to your love for speeding. Living now in Australia it is called speeding. In Germany I call it love for driving fast, but never reckless or dangerous. In my area there are little towns here and there with open county roads between them. I learn to take more time to get somewhere and instead of rushing and speeding I rather obey the speed limits. I find rushing and time stress detrimental to my health and wellbeing.

Driving reveals much to us and it’s worth a closer look. For example I always check my hands how are they gripping the steering wheel, if in tension then why? If my shoulders are raised or slouched again what’s going on. It’s interesting to observe as every action we take is magnified in the car as it responds to our control and it exposes where we are at.

I have been driving around with 1 point left on my licence for about 6 months, after losing a bunch of points in a short space of time – none of them for speeding!!! Still, I speed everywhere, all the time ( do the police monitor these sites? ) and think I am better than, more skilled, more important…… blah, blah, my illusion is thick. Driving on the speed limit, well I guess I could try it. Thanks Anne, the laws are there for all equally, your blog is an inspiration.

It is well worth a try, Mark – in fact, it is a revelation!
It is all about learning to be in our bodies and allowing ourselves to feel what is going on inside, not creating tension on the outside to match or mask the tension we don’t want to feel on the inside.
Now I know if I am creeping over the speed limit, because my body starts to feel tense again.

Classic Mark, and that was a pretty fast comment. You show for us that we think speeding is just normal, an everyday part of life. It is possible it is another part we have accepted that maybe doesn’t actually support us being ourselves when we arrive at any given point or place. It is interesting to look at speeding and how we justify it, like you say Mark “I am better than, more skilled”, next time I’m speeding or driving I will check and see how my body feels, do I feel settled and calm or am I anxious, worried or thinking about the next thing. The presence of driving is important and one has to imagine what would are road toll or laws would look like if we introduced more presence to driving or made that a part of driver training.

I am comment stalking you but you are making some very beautiful additions to Annes blog. It just struck me that why is this not apart of learning to drive. Its another thing that would change lives and most definitely the road toll.

How amazing would that be? Before we could get our Ls or our Ps we would have to show we were consciously present behind the wheel. There would be fewer cars on the road and driving would be a much more lovely experience all round.

I am now driving slowly enough to make eye contact with the drivers coming the other way – but that rarely happens – they are talking or texting on their phones, or just staring blankly ahead. How lovely it would be to meet each other’s eyes and smile as we passed by!

On that note Anne it’s a miracle that we don’t see more accidents due to lack of presence.
Got to be a higher power helping us out here!

Ester says:May 15, 2015 at 12:22 pm

For me driving fast is sometimes a great joy – we are allowed to drive fast in Germany on parts of the autobahn but I also like to drive slow nowadays. I love what you share about driving on the speed limit and it inspires me. So in the next days I will find out for myself how it is to drive like this.

Lovely observation of a way of driving that brings in collaboration rather than it being a selfish activity “I had all the space and time in the world, and I was on the road with everyone else, sharing the space with everyone equally.” Lovely way to drive with other people in equality.

I agree Matthew. Like any interaction with others when we are driving our cars it is almost like you get a sense of what the other drivers are feeling by the way they are driving their car and with this awareness you know when you need to stop, give them more space or let them in.

I read your blog yesterday, Anne, and as I am not driving I wanted to share my pedestrian experience with speeding and laws.
As far as remember myself I was crossing the road everywhere-even in Russia-on the red light. If I look at it honestly it was to show how cool and not caring I am. But in truth all this showing off was about hidden luck of respect to myself and others-drivers on the road (many of them might hate me), fellow pedestrians, with children, to whom they may say:” Look and NEVER do like this woman!”. I was constantly putting in danger not only myself but potentially other people too. Until recently I began to ponder on my responsibility for myself and people as well as looking at the reasons why I am always in a hurry? Why I don’t manage time?
So I made a commitment-never again I am crossing the road on the red light and I change the play-I started looking at the red lights as stop moments, when I can stay still, re-connect and take time which is given me by law of red light. Guess what? Yesterday all day as soon as I was coming to the cross line every time traffic lights were changing to green! So I was going in my rhythm-smiling.

This is a wonderful observation about yourself and the traffic. I love your comment how you felt about the lights. I notice and appreciate that when I have honoured my true rhythm, how to get dressed in the morning, sitting down to breakfast, allowing plenty of time to get ready to leave the house, getting to my next appointment is easy, flowing well. There is no anxiousness, thinking up excuses why I am late and so on!
The journey itself is a pleasure. It absolutely does not matter whether the light is red or green. A red light becomes a great stop moment to take stock, feel where you are, and enjoy or if it is green, you keep moving with the flow you are already in!

Like Michelle, I like the way you’ve flipped the red lights to become a moment when you can stop and just take a moment. What a great example of simply using our environment to provide us with everything we need to stay connected.

I also loved speeding, however I have become aware of the tension that speeding creates in my body and the relief I used to feel when I arrived at my destination. I used to question why the speed limit was only 80km or 100km or whatever I thought wasn’t fast enough. Driving without that constant tension of who or what may be around the next bend in the road and accepting and driving within the speed limit is far more enjoyable and I am far more relaxed while I am driving and when I arrive.

I have found that whenever I am still or present I naturally drive within or close to the speed limit. As Anne says speeding brings a tension but also an excitement and elevation in the body. For me there is also an aggressive and competitive drive that is the antithesis of stillness and presence. This is often born out of an unwillingness to feel where I am at and what momentum I have been in leading up to that moment, usually an unhealthy momentum. Which results in me blaming everything and everyone around me for slowing me down and turning the frustration inwards and providing me with excuses to go into self-loathing etc… Everything but just stopping and feeling where I am at and what I need to do to return to me.

Hello Grierson and it is great to introduce the ‘momentum’ of life in driving. So do we just get in a car and speed or race or is there a way of living first that then also ‘enters the driving? So driving like anything else takes care and so just say you are consistently late for something, then how you drive to that something will be in a certain way. We can support our driving by first supporting ourselves and how we live. Driving appears only to be a reflection of how we live, a marker if you like. So if you are distracted, racy, tense, anxious etc while driving well then you may need to look beyond just driving or you at least may need to question why you are driving this way.

I can see how abiding by the speed limit can reduce tension and allow a greater awareness to come-in of everything else around you (not just looking for the speed camera that will deliver the blow of a fine). Giving myself plenty of time to travel and perform lots of things, is very much the same thing; there’s nothing worse than a continual rush to get me all hyped-up.

Thank you Anne for this lovely blog. I too, have spent most of my life driving just over the speed limit after 40= years of driving just beginning to discover the pleasure of driving within the limit. You make great points in particular the arrogance one can have to think they are above the law.

The sacrifices we make for the lack of awareness on the road is enormous. Being in any state that is not presence puts us in a place where the tragic outcomes of recklessness are devastating to many friends and family.

Hello Matthew, yes I agree. We could relate this to other things as well with our “lack of awareness” or the ‘blind spots’ we choose to have in our awareness. If we were just to dedicate to change this, I wonder how the road toll for the year would look? A lot of time and money is spent enforcing the laws around driving when it appears we have exposed a part that isn’t ‘seen’. This would be a great study to do and I’m sure like most things, presence introduced into driving a lot would be different. So let’s have the ‘new’ drivers of today shown the road rules but also shown how being present with the way you drive is equally as important.

Ray and Matthew raise a great point – we’ve accepted the death toll, and the general lack of presence on the road as the ‘normal’ way in which we operate on the roads. That normal has a human cost, as well as an enforcement cost to counter it. Imagine how different things could be if we were all taught differently… and redefined what was normal.

What a great sharing Anne. I can appreciate how this relates to not just driving, but anything to do with going about our daily tasks – is there any sense at all of ‘pushing through’, any tension on the accelerator?
In relation to driving, I’ve been bringing awareness to how I am when I drive my car for some time now, and can feel the slightest ‘push’ when it comes in – how it triggers my nervous system to be more heightened (& takes me away from the exquisite sense of stillness you’ve described). It doesn’t mean I can’t use the power that my car has, but it’s all about the ‘how’… Today I actually enjoy and utilise its power more than I ever did, but (totally without perfection here… 😉 ) I do remain feeling pretty amazingly lovely and still in my body. ‘Tis a total Joy.

I liked your blog Anne and I can totally relate to the points you have made, no matter what I was driving I always wanted to get to my destination as quickly as possible, even when I was driving trams I would speed. Reflecting back it was almost like I wanted to run away from myself and if anything this behaviour just kept me in constant nervous tension. I have since changed my ways and can now appreciate travelling to the speed limit

Whoa, Joe! Visions of you – faster than a speeding tram!
I can relate to the feeling of wanting to run away from myself and using the behaviour to keep me in nervous tension. When I lived in such a way that I was always exhausted, I used to be fond of saying that it was only the tension in my shoulders that was keeping me awake, and driving fast created a tension outside that matched the tension inside me, so that it felt “comfortable” to speed.
Now that I am learning to let go of the tension and open up to the stillness that lives within, driving fast creates a tension that feels distinctly uncomfortable!

I can so relate to what you write. I used to be Miss Getting from A to B as fast as possible. Riding my bike in Amsterdam it was most obvious. Once on my bike I was biking at top speed, cutting the corners, taking short cuts and in the meantime shouting to people who got in my way. My attitude was definitely: my way or get out of the way asap. In hindsight it was not only stressful for me/my body, but also quite aggressive towards people. I too had my stopmoment, realized it was a very unpleasant way of biking and I started to slow down, not be in a constant hurry and raciness. It felt like entering another space, it was and still is a totally different experience. No more this control freak tyrant on the road, but a relaxed person enjoying the ride.

Hi Anne, Your blog inspired me to be more present when I drive and enjoy the speed limit rather than slipping over it. It was far more supportive of my body and I recommend it! It made me aware of my body as I was being more conscious about the effect of even being a little over. Thanks for the inspiration,

I find driving to be a great reflection of how I am feeling. Usually, I would be happy to drive according to the speed limit which feels easy and simple. When I’m frustrated about something, even this becomes difficult and I end up not paying attention and cutting other drivers up etc. Driving in conscious presence is so much more fun and enjoyable.

I agree, Jinya, driving is another great opportunity to see how we are – and through reflection offers us a way to come back to ourselves, to reconnect with the living stillness inside us, if we so choose it.

Thank you Anne,
I had to laugh a lot as I read your blog. That is exactly how I was, and occasionally when I still don’t allow enough time to get somewhere, I fall back into speeding over the limit. It is amazing to be exposed in the thinking we have that we are above or exempt from the law that is there for EVERYBODY!
Whenever I am rushing a little, and then I come across ‘a slow driver’, it is a reminder for me, as it is in life that everyone goes at their own pace and no one ‘faster’ is more entitled to road space. I just slow down, take some gentle breaths and drop back in to ease, spaciousness and back in my body. Suddenly it appears like there is heaps of space on the road and it could be a leisurely Sunday morning ride on the way to work. I feel connected to everyone on the road, I read the road conditions better and see people’s intentions. I become a better driver and its actually quite fun to see and observe ‘life’ playing out on the roads.

Yes, Michelle, coming up behind a slower driver now is an opportunity to slow down ourselves, to open up to all around us, and to ponder on whether we may have been going a little fast on the inside or the outside, so that we needed that message from God!

Yes Natalie this is a great message! After reading this blog it has stayed with me and I would like to say has inspired me to create more space in my day to deal with what needs to be done in order not to feel the rush of time closing in on me.
I know I can choose either to be in stillness connected to me or I can choose chaos and the mess that then ensues. The choice is mine I know but there is no evolution in chaos.

I know from experience the difference that this makes, Anne. I had a hospital appointment the other day and allowed 20 minutes to drive there even though it was a 10 minute journey and took care to find out how much time the receptionist needed to book me in. So I took my time and the rest of the morning flowed beautifully. For this I too am so grateful to Serge Benhayon for how he has presented how we can all live so that every morning flows like this.

Yes, Michael, the difference between leaving “more than enough” time, “enough” time, “just enough” time, or “not enough” time, is enormous, when it comes to how it feels in our bodies. Is the 10 minutes “saved” – by leaving “just enough” time – worth the enormous tension it creates in us? Or is the 10 minutes very well spent – by leaving “more than enough” time – if it creates a spaciousness and flow in our bodies that goes on to affect our whole day and everyone around us?

This can be applied to anything in life. As I learn to drop the ‘drive’ I adopt to get through my day I am learning that I enjoy my day so much more. There seems to be a speed limit to honour when just living my day! When I go into ‘drive’ and try to get somewhere I find that I am not enjoying myself.

Love it, Rebecca – “drop the drive”.
I too find that if I go into “drive” now, the tension is immediately felt, and pulls me to slow down, or even stop, and come back to my body and its natural ease and grace.

After reading your blog, I decided to drive into work without looking at my speedo, rather gauging what speed I was doing by what felt safe and solid, and also knowing what the speed limits were for each stretch of road. Throughout the drive, I did check in 4 times with the speedo and each time I was totally on the right speed: when the limit was 80, I found I was doing 80; when the limit was 40, I found I was nailing 40! And in doing so, my entire body felt open, unrestricted, in a flow that meant when I got to work, every part of me felt connected to Me and to my environment, as that’s what I had been connecting to on the 30min drive. To say it felt amazing was an understatement! This was a great marker for me, one that was very simple to create and a great one to help me re-connect if need be at the end of the day on my drive home again. I can then walk through my front door in a calm, connected, and very joyful way, needing no ‘me’ time before being with people again.

What a lovely sharing, Suzanne! I have found the same – that my body knows what speed to go – I just have to feel it and honour it. And then, as you say, time in the car is time with myself, and when we get to our destination, we are ready for whatever awaits us.

Thank you Anne. I love what you say here – ‘this sense of stillness and space is always there, living within me, if I allow myself to slow down and feel it’ This made me realise that there is also an inner speed limit or law within our body, that requires us to be in a certain quality to allow for that space and stillness which feels so natural, so a question to ask would be, why do we think we are above this law too?

This is a lovely expansion, Sara. Yes, the law is not just the speed limits or other road laws, but the laws of the universe, of which our body is the marker – our internal speedometer, if you like. And we are not above this law either, as our body will always show us, sooner or later.

Beautifully put Sara -” …there is also an inner speed limit or law within our body, that requires us to be in a certain quality to allow for that space and stillness which feels so natural.” This is something to really be aware in all we do and are.

“What part of me thinks I am above or exempt from this law? The part that thinks I am smarter, more alert, have a better car – that the law does not apply to me?”
I’ve been aware for some time that I carry a certain arrogance on the road. Yes speeding, but recently I notice it more on the short drive into town, where I will be ‘pushy’, trying to sneak into gaps, or taking a liberty when it’s not my right of way. For many years I did not notice I was doing it but just thought I was smarter, moving faster etc etc.
But the difference in taking my time, being respectful, allowing others out at a junction is immeasurable. For me the space opens up, along with an infinite good humour. And for others it has this magic quality (on a small scale) of spreading the love.
The difference is generally if I have become focussed on my wants and needs (because I am trying to pack too much in, or I’m late) rather than taking the extra minute to just be on the road, connect with the other drivers, and actually enjoy the experience of driving my gorgeous car!

That is so true, Simon. If we make it all about us, and our little wants and needs, there is never enough time and space, and if we make it all about everyone, equally so, including us, there is all the time and space in the world.

When it comes to long journeys I always used to not like them, having to sit in the car and not be able to do things. I would try so hard to fill my time with calls, music and thinking – and speeding – always arriving feeling exhausted. Yet having taken a new approach to journeys one where I leave plenty of time and honour the speed limits and connect with the drive the time is far more enjoyable and I arrive feeling refreshed. I now have an instant difference in how I feel depending on how I drive.

So true, David. If we fill the time and space with ‘stuff’, we arrive feeling exhausted; whereas if we leave time and space for just being and connecting with ourselves and all around us, we arrive feeling…spacious!

“But I have since come to realise that driving in this way creates a narrowness of focus”. Thank you Anne for pinpointing what goes on for many of us while driving. I dislike driving and usually see it as an imposition on me. Recently I have had to do more of it and realised that this is another part of my life where I felt contracted, uneasy, and ready to give up at the slightest opportunity. The challenge for me is not to respect the speed limit but to go out there and use the car to expand my horizon, meet people and widen my focus.

Hi Jody me too I find how I drive is an awesome reflection of how I am with myself. In the past people would not be a passenger in a car driven by me because they felt un safe as I was so checked out. My driving has changed considerably as I now drive being very present, continually checking my mirrors ,the road and all. Even I feel safer driving with me!!!!

‘Even I feel safer driving with me!’ I love this honesty Mary-Louise and what it opens up in the possibilities of the playful relationship we can have with ourselves when we are willing to have the dialogue. Thank you.

I have recently been driving an old car, 1960, and it is so lovely to be driving slowly around the lanes and on the bigger roads too. I feel so much more at one with the beauty of nature around me. It requires me to have much more conscious presence and appreciate the refinement that has taken place in design and engineering of newer cars, like suspension and steering for example.

Don’t know how many times I’ve sped to things that there was actually no need to, there’ve either been delayed or held up that there was no need, and left questioning why’d I do that now feeling like a hundred miles an hr in my body..
It’s like your still driving.

I was going to write this exact blog, it was uncanny, every word that was written I totally related to. What stopped me in my speeding tracks was a little different to you though. I had been playing the cop dodge game since I first got my licence and prided myself on never getting a fine. One day on a highly policed stretch of highway there was an unmarked speed limit on the road works area and I was doing 100 rather than 80… when I drove past the 80 sign I quickly slowed down to adjust but the police had already spotted me and I was caught. I was so shocked, I even cried. At first I thought it was unfair but then I realised even though it was an innocent mistake this time, what about all the other times when it was premeditated. The police said they nearly didn’t fine me because of the circumstances but I am glad they did because it changed me for ever. The fine was expensive but the lesson was priceless. It knocked the arrogance right out of me and allowed me to enjoy travelling from A to B without distracting myself with how quick I was going to arrive.

I also enjoy keeping to the speed limit ,something I have doing for quite a while , it definitely keeps stress levels down and is good for the environment, others and my wallet in saved speeding tickets.

Yesterday I was brought to a halt when a herd of cows was crossing the road. They ambled slowly across, and nothing could hurry them. Everyone had to wait. I could have sat there becoming very impatient and building up nervous tension, but I chose to observe the cows, and take some quiet time to rest and breathe. The cows kept coming, and coming, there must have been about two hundred of them, and it took about fifteen minutes. I pondered on how much anxiety I could have given myself, and how actually i felt rested and restored to myself by enjoying their passage across the road. It is the same with just driving, when you come to the halts such as lights and traffic jams, if we have been proceeding along at an even pace they do not become the enemy but just part of the journey .

I had to laugh Joan when I read how you had to wait when about 200 cows were crossing the road because in the past, I would have been very impatient in a rush to get to where I was going. Like you I would now use that ‘waiting time’ to just be with myself and enjoy and observe the cows crossing in front of me, as opposed to building up nervous tension.

I love this, Joan. We have a railway crossing in our local town. The gates are up and down numerous times each hour. My relationship with this has become a brilliant sign post for me…am I twitchy and considering the loop around to avoid the crossing, am I resigned and compliant or do I look forward to whatever is on offer and make careful use of it? The moments when I do the latter are, as you say Joan, brilliantly restorative.

Anne that’s lovely. Sitting with the stillness inside, and realising that there s no rush is very beatiful. To drive a car even on the speed limit becomes a very fun experience, because we are in stillness felling the car moving and feeling all the other cars around us. It is magnificent.

“To experience stillness within while in motion is a far greater joy than any cheap thrill.” Discovering this is a revelation and a blessing. However, I am still learning to maintain this and not get attracted by the allure of the thrill and glamour of the ‘speed’.

Anne – I love this blog – it is on the nail. I love what you say here – “And then I wondered why I had spent 35 years speeding while driving, depriving myself of this pleasure; the pleasure of abiding by the law. I realised that the law is there, not to annoy me, or to be flouted for the sake of it, but to keep us all as safe as road laws can, no matter what kind of car you have, what the weather conditions are, and how much traffic is on the road.” Not only are we supporting ourselves – we are supporting everyone when we drive in the way you describe. That is inspiring.

I hate being late but at the same time I quite often leave things until the last minute, it is like I am trying to push time and get the most out of each moment but it is never worth the stress and tension on my body. It feels so much more enjoyable to allow myself the space to get to my destination without the worry of thinking I am going to be late.

I made similar experiences, Anne and I am learning that being stressed or put myself under pressure by driving fast in order to arrive punctual does not work anyway. How freeing it is to drive in my own rhythm and not let myself be dictated from the outside.

I’ve come back to your blog today because I think I just got caught out for going 20 miles an hour over the speed limit on the motorway! When I clocked this I remembered your blog. I had been listening to the radio at the time and at once realised how checked out I was. For the rest of the journey I was much more present and stayed within the limit. The effect on my body was significant. I was with my body, there was no rush or push and I felt much more steady. I was reminded that to stay present is a constant choice and if I do not make this choice there are consequences, not just to myself and my body, but to everyone around me.

As with speed limits, how many other things have I flouted and rebelled against just as a reaction to being told what to do. I love this article, for bringing the possibilities and opportunities of some of the structures in our lives to light. Thank you, Anne.

Oh I love this, Matilda:” just as a reaction to being told what to do”.
That’s it, isn’t it – we just don’t like being told what to do!
So with driving, we will go a certain number of kms above the speed limit, whether that be 40 or 100 kms per hour – it is not the speed itself, but the principle of obeying the law, or flouting it, and the feeling that brings.
And when we start to see ourselves as responsible and equal members of a community, that feeling changes.

Like you Anne, I have always been pushing the limit and now reading your blog and what you have shared has inspired me to look at the way I drive. But I can’t help but feel that driving like this is how I am in many parts of my day. So while I could just address the speed with which I drive, I feel that unless I address this excess motion in all I do it will be hard not to slip back into old habits.

I love this blog Anne, I too used to drive too fast, get stressed by it and arrive at my destination in nervous energy. Now I stick to the speed limit, observing how my body feels,enjoying being with me and the driving and arrive feeling great.

I love this article because it comes down to self responsibility and a willingness to expose where we are at in our lives- to see that EVERYTHING is energy and choosing responsibility. We have so much more to offer the communities we live in aside from speeding.

Even the fact that we have speed limits shows how as a collective of people living together in towns, cities etc, we do all know and want to live responsibly with each other and there is always the opportunity to learn more about how to do this because of the public systems that are in place.

It’s no use trying to drive like you are possessed as you will only save approximately 7 minutes on your journey.
It is better to arrive safely than arrive stressed out. As you drive just feel your body, it will probably tell you to slow down and enjoy the journey, wherever it may be.

Wow I so get this! I know exactly what you mean by “I sometimes try to fit too much into each moment and so am often running late, rushing to complete tasks and get to the next one.” I am realising how unhealthy this patten of behaviour is and when I give myself more time (and stick to the speed limit) life just flows and I remain unaffected by the stress I allow in that comes from rushing.
Love your blog Anne so very true!

I recently had a new car, and with its tiny engine is a bit like driving a lawn mower. It has a manual gear box, which is a bit clunky, and so I have found that changing gears can make the journey a bit rough and like being shunted around by a cranky old lawn mower. So, i decided to change that by taking extra care with the clutch and the accelerator . Now the ride is smooth because every time I need to change gear I am fully aware of what my feet are doing, my mind is not racing ahead in a rush to get to where I am going, I am actually in the car taking care of my body so that I arrive at work feeling great.

I love this Shami; ‘ I am actually in the car taking care of my body so that I arrive at work feeling great’. And when we are actually present in our bodies, everything just unfolds as it should, making our journey also smooth.

Shami how great that you have taken on board changing your driving habits . Being gentle on the clutch and changing gears in a smooth action, and gentle braking will certainly make a difference driving your new car. It will also give you a totally different feeling in your body. Being a smoothie feel so much better.

Love it, Mike – “being a smoothie”!
I have recently bought a manual car for my son to learn to drive in, and it has been great going back to changing gears and the extra presence and focus in the car that this requires.
And yes, it is fun to play with how smoothly you can do it, rather than going for speed, and then the drive is a joyful ride in and with your body.

I’ve recently brought more focus to driving at a speed that truly supports me, and not in speedy or racy way. Sometimes I find myself just below the speed limit. I’ve noticed that driving this way I feel so much calmer during my whole day, it’s amazing that something so simple can be such a blessing.

I have noticed this too, Danielle, that if I am truly driving with me, I am sometimes below the speed limit. And it used to annoy me so much when I came up behind other people driving in this way!
I appreciate now that people are driving at the pace that they feel able to drive, and that if I come up behind someone driving slowly, it gives me an opportunity to see if I am a little racy and to slow down myself.

It was beautiful today to observe the roads and the cars around me as I drove along the motorway, especially through a stretch of road that had a specific speed limit. What was interesting to see was how so many people will ignore these signs, I had my cruise control set to the speed limit and as i drove down i was able to see how many people would come up close to the back of my car and then overtake. It made me smile as, i use to be one of these people avoiding limits and always in a rush to get to places. Today by staying in the speed limit, I was able to enjoy the drive, without letting others upset me. I arrived at my destination stress free with plenty of time.

I love what you share, Anne. When I put pressure on myself to get somewhere in time (even if I have enough time) I can feel my whole body harden and everyone gets in my way! Yet if I ‘let go’ of time, my body relaxes and I can enjoy the drive. I have the power to choose how I arrive at my destination.

Great point Carmin. When I set out on long journeys and have to be at a destination by a certain time, although I allow plenty of time I can still feel tense and anxious while driving. It is not intense all the time but I know it’s there… I hadn’t considered to ‘let go’ of time and trust the outcome.

It is so easy to get distracted when driving, so this has been such a great blog to read, to bring awareness back to myself around how am i when i am driving. I usually am thinking of things i need to organise, people to talk to, replaying scenarios over in my head. All the while driving and not being consciously present, this has been a great reminder to bring that conscious presence to myself when driving.

I can so relate to what you are sharing here Raegan how easy it is to get distracted with all that is happening outside of our car when in fact there is nothing more vital than us being in our own drivers seat and completely focused on what we are doing as we manoeuvre our way alongside all the other cars on the roads according to the laws that govern us all.

That’s a great insight Anne M about speeding being a ‘drive’ or a push to go somewhere rather than just being in the stillness of the moment. I suddenly realised that this is a metaphor for all of life. How often do we tune into our body’s natural rhythm or speed during the day and abide by that? Or how often are we pushing it beyond that speed, (or going slower than its natural rhythm)? I have realised after reading your blog that my life has a natural ‘speed limit’ and a flow that I can choose to go along with, or resist in some way with the resulting consequences that this will lead to.

Oh my goodness! If we were clocked for speeding in all areas of life, I would have lost my licence years ago! The thing is though that we do pay for living in this way – the stress and tension takes a toll on our bodies, and sooner or later, we end up with illness and disease. And then we want to blame something or someone outside of ourselves for it, rather than realising that we have been living in a way that lead to this moment.

Ha, we usually do but they don’t come in the form of paper and fines needing to be paid but more so as bumps to the body and various other repercussions such as needing to re-do a particular task because we went too fast and skipped bits or did it incorrectly. Karma is the currency. It is not a punishment but a loving universal law that affords us the space to examine what we have lived and whether it truly serves us or not. If not, then we simply choose to not choose it again and move on. Simple.

I can really relate to pushing myself either faster than my natural rhythm or even holding back and going slower than need be. Either way it requires more effort or resistance and that is eventually draining.

Great sharing Anne, which I can relate to very much. Not so much because I am speeding but because Germany still has no speed limit on many roads and it is more stressful to drive when the speed varies a lot. Consequently there is a lot of aggression on German roads. Your article should be published in the German newspaper, as it is very inspiring.

Interesting how our body can feel tense when we drive too fast. Yet we override that and ‘enjoy’ the thrill. Where is that ‘thrill’ coming from if our bodies are communicating very clearly that the speed is too fast for us?

This is a great point Joshua. Where indeed is the “thrill” coming from, if it is not from our body and is at our body’s great expense? Why do we like “adrenaline rushes”? Why do we like to feel tense, anxious and scared? What part of us is enjoying itself, if it is not our bodies? Could it be that something is running our minds, that thinks our bodies are expendable?

The fact that we may not be physically caught while breaking the law makes us believe that we are above it. We may indeed get away with breaking the law here and there, but what if laws are there to reflect ands remind us that in the universe we live in, laws cannot be broken no matter what. Abiding by the law gives us this feeling of easiness and spaciousness not just because of the laws but also because we can feel aligning to a universal order we are also part of.

This is so lovely and true, Eduardo. That sense of spaciousness and ease comes from feeling we are part of a great whole, and that we are living in a way that knows and honours that universal law and order.

Aligning to a universal order we are a part of, that makes so much sense Eduardo, and why it feels so natural to drive at certain speeds. I was experimenting the other day driving 60 in a 50 mile an hour speed limit and I could feel how it didn’t feel quite right although it didn’t feel like I was speeding…. thank you for helping me understand what I was feeling but couldn’t quite put my finger on.

I recognise all you shared Anne and the freedom I felt to just listen to the traffic laws. For me it was like the fighting against it was stopping and the working together was starting. And then there is the brotherhood.

Isn’t our driving like how we can choose to walk? We can walk to be very present with our bodies (car) and enjoy that presence, which brings its own pace and rhythm. A car really is an amazing machine and can feel well tuned and purring when we find the rhythm and flow in which to drive. I understand that driving brings out a competitive nature in many people. It can be either the urge to beat the traffic, stay ahead of it and I have heard the belief, driving aggressively is the best form of defence. Or I have observed people driving slowly, ‘defensively’ and actually holding up the flow that can support other drivers. Both are based on belief systems of how one should drive and both are avoiding the sense of presence and connection to our bodies and our cars and the act of driving. I appreciate the way this has been described in this blog and the simple joy that can come from this activity some of us do for hours a day!

Wow I can so relate to this post. Some may call me a speed demon- demon being quite appropriate, as I can quite arrogantly think I have more right to be on the road and don’t have the time to fuss about going slow (slow in this case is the speed limit!) like all the other cars/people. I will check back in with this blog in several weeks to feel if anything has changed for me and those I share the roads with. At the moment it is a begrudged sharing, hopefully I will make space for this to shift.
Another thing I have noticed is how I drive reflects a lot about how I live, so there are so many reasons to be open to this little experiment I am Setting myself!!!

Recently I have been teaching my son to drive which has given me a great opportunity to put my driving habits under the microscope. There is nothing like the responsibility of putting your child behind the car of the wheel to make me examine my behavior on the road. I have also taken up a job further from home, which means a considerably more driving time. I can relate to noticing the tension and the horrible feeling of running late and then how that impacts on my driving and my body. I noticed how hard I can grip the steering wheel and the dogging in and out of traffic. It all reflects a level of tension I create for myself. What a waste of energy!

I have noticed that when I am running late for work or an appointment I tend to drive over the speed limit.
I have noticed that my body feels hardened, shoulders curled inward and raised, and I feel racy, and on edge. I tend to get caught behind slower vehicles which create frustration, impatience and annoyance.
However, if I leave earlier than normal then I don’t need to rush, and my body is more relaxed and open.
The traffic seems to flow. So I feel it is a reflection of how I am with myself.

It is actually quite lovely to reflect back on my driving and see how much it has changed over the years. Like so many things in life it is another opportunity to appreciate how much more responsibility we are willing to take. Driving is a great one as it is how we are with people. It can show us how we move through life and the quality of our presence and interactions. It also very quickly shows us the gaps. A car accident, a parking fine, running out of fuel, flat tyres – everything is telling us something about our way of living.

Thank you Anne, I love how you say – ‘In this space that I created by driving within the speed limit, just by allowing myself to drive within the road laws, rather than forcing myself to go faster to get somewhere, this raciness fell away and I was left feeling a great stillness and spaciousness within me. And I had the understanding that this sense of stillness and space is always there, living within me, if I allow myself to slow down and feel it.’
– this is also my experience.

“I was on the road with everyone else, sharing the space with everyone equally.” I love this observation Anne. Reading your blog is timely as I have recently been drawn to complying to the speed limits, which has not been easy as I am a lead foot, one of my children said “mum, why are you driving like this?” hmm, he certainly hasn’t been used to me obeying speed limits and my reflection to him obviously was not great. I can definitely feel the flow with everyone on the road and sharing space with them equally, thank you for confirming this as it is an enjoyable trip when driving this way.

Being an avid speeder for most of my life, I can very much relate to what you have shared here. Being late and pushed for time has always been part of my pattern, and learning to give myself that extra 10 minutes has been amazingly supportive. I can now define those once blurry shapes on the side of the road with more clarity, and oh, such beauty there is in the world…

So true Adam. There is much beauty to appreciate when we are aware and not rushed. The birds flying or perching on the street posts, the sky and horizon, the clouds, the generous drivers who may let us merge in front…

I have recently felt very uncomfortable driving fast. I could feel the physical tension in my forearms holding the steering wheel and in my foot as I pressed hard on the accelerator, whilst a nervous tension seemed to jangle through every other cell. Whilst I did not go over the speed limit I did like to get to the maximum speed as fast as I could and so each time I stopped I would prepare for the next take off at speed. To see what I was doing and feel how my body reacted to this has been great. Now moving off more slowly feels so much gentler and more spacious for and in my body.

Anne I feel like we are peas from the same pod thinking we are above the law, that it doesn’t apply to me, there are so many areas of my life that I am still like that with. It is great to read that today and really feel what that is about and how it goes against my nature of brotherhood and equality being it! Much to ponder.

Today reading your blog what resonated with me is “I was on the road with everyone else, sharing the space with everyone equally.” I have also experienced this lately and I feel that stillness within when driving with this in mind,

This is great Anne, as its made me think about how when I may drive in this way, that, ‘this way’ doesn’t just stop when we stop our car and get to our destination. This behavior can continue on into our activity, being fast, impatient, tense body, super alert etc, and this ultimately effects our interactions with others and most importantly our own physiology – our heart rate and stress response. Driving to the speed limits does have many positive consequences on our health and well being and its not just about avoiding speeding fines and accidents.

In recent years my experience of driving has changed too. Driving has become about feeling, feeling myself as the driver, feeling the car, feeling the road, the other road users and even the nature around me as I pass by. This has led me to slow down and really connect with the experience of driving and be much less concerned with how quickly I can get from A to B. It all feels very different and one of the interesting things is that I very rarely get caught up in traffic jams or behind ‘slow’ drivers. There is, as you say Anne, much more of a flow to my journeys and a connection to all around. The phrase ‘slow down and smell the roses’ comes to mind in the sense that as we stop the process of getting ahead of ourselves, we have the opportunity to feel so much more in our lives, the simplicity of everything around us and even the joy of just being who we are. Lovely blog Anne, thank you.

A few years ago I was driving around the M25 south of London. I recall that I was travelling at 80 mph and was in free flowing and fairly fast traffic. Just after going over the brow of hill and beginning the decent down the other side I had this extraordinary sense of stillness, just for a moment. Mentally it made no sense of course because I was moving very fast and yet, there was this incredible feeling that despite all the apparent movement there is this even greater feeling of stillness everywhere. So your words ‘I had the understanding that this sense of stillness and space is always there, living within me, if I allow myself to slow down and feel it.’ truly resonate with me Anne. I quite often drive around this part of the M25 and am always reminded of my experience as I do so, but more so, that this sense of stillness is always within us if we choose to feel it.

Finally… Letting go of the ongoing and bizarre tension of speeding always in my life, and letting myself feel the simplicity of actually driving within the statement has allow me to let go of so much tension that was always there… And I enjoy driving so much more now.

I laughed when I read this Anne “I realised that the law is there, not to annoy me or to be flouted for the sake of it, but to keep us all as safe as road laws can,”….
What I felt very clearly reading your blog is how directly the way we drive reflects how we are with ourselves and others in our life.

I have never liked the feeling of the pressure and tension of time frames so I always allow enough space to get to where I am going without a push. I am not a slow driver but I can at times feel the irritation of cars behind me as I am merrily driving along at the speed limit, especially when only one lane. Driving on the route to work I have had many cars overtake me across double lines only to be held up by the road works a little further up the road. I have at times felt pressured to speed up myself but I never do this now, I just feel the imposition and stay with me. We don’t really get there any faster in the end, and at what expense if we arrive stressed out?

Great article. Since I have the tendency to be late for work I often really have to step on it to be in time. When I am driving fast I can feel how my body tenses up and of course being too late for work brings some stress with anyway. When I make sure I leave nice and early I just love driving my car taking all the time in the world and really being present in the car with no wandering mind. I don’t get worked up and arrive in a harmonious state of being. So all I have to do for myself is leave in time and my day will start so much better.

There is so much wisdom in this comment Ilja, especially about taking responsibility for what we create in our lives and preparing for the day in such a way that we are not rushed or in a state of nervous tension.

You’ll never believe it, but since having my license returned to me after a 3 month suspension, I’ve experimented with the idea of driving the speed limit, not 2 km over, not 5 not 10, just the limit.
The first day I was able to drive I was AMAZED at how quickly I was able to revert back to my old ways. It was like I had never had my license revoked. I was weaving in and out, getting annoyed at everyone on the road who were not following my lead or getting out of my way. This was only 5 minutes in to driving for the first time in 3 months. Wow! I was very quick to catch myself out. It has bow been over a month and I’m re-training myself and my attitude on the road. Yesterday I allowed myself to just drive, in stillness, and Anne, you’re 100% right….I glided to where I need to be, no one was in my way because I had snuck up on them, everyone was just doing what they should be doing and I arrived at my destination with minutes to spare and without any tension in my body.
This is a succesful experiment, one I plan on further cementing!

Anne, I love driving my car, it’s a sporty little number holds the road well, and there is plenty under the bonnet to keep me out of trouble. I have great fun driving it, I too am learning to take my time though, not that I’m a speedy driver but there are times when I may be that little bit over enthusiastic. I actually find I am far more aware of myself when I’m just that little bit slower.

There is something that is really humbling about us all accepting that we are equal at heart that allows us to more easily abide by the universal laws that allows a flow of respect in all that we do on the road, in our homes and at work, anywhere really, that allows the mutual respect and appreciation of each other to grow. Although life can sometimes look like and feel like we are all on our own journey it is actually a journey that we are all doing together.

It is great that you expose yourself in this honest way so that I can see my own games when speeding and driving, how much other drivers get on my nerves or happen to be in my way, the feeling special, like I don´t have to abide by the law…And that you started driving within the limits because of the feeling of unity and equalness, not for the fear of being caught or the need to conform, but because of a more self loving way of driving that respects everyone and you first of all.

In my twenties I had a little sporty convertible and now looking back I would say that my driving was reckless; bombing about the Oxfordshire countryside without any care for myself or others – the potential there to have an accident was always around the corner.
These days I am re-learning how I drive, especially since moving to London – you have to be confident and claim your space on the road other wise you just wouldn’t get out into traffic and you have to keep your wits about you. Being more aware of how I am with myself, makes me have more care on the road and to be considerate of other road users – including pedestrians and cyclists.

Recently I made a correlation in my life between the way I am behind the wheel and the way I have also been with food. It dawned on me I had for sometime considered I was ‘no speed freak’ when in truth I was often just those few k’s over, with full view over the limit, but not making the conscious choice to stay on it. Instead just above that the limit was easy enough to drop back to if I needed to. Similarly my relationship to food was a little extra here, some of this there, until its far enough, and I draw in the reigns once more. So all the while I’m not claiming ‘this is where I am, this is what I choose’. To introduce an attention to the detail of my choices, and not go over my limits feels so much more supportive and empowering than to override here and there, wavering in what I know is true.

My first reaction when reading your comment was “Oh no I’m busted” I can’t ignore the way I allow myself to ‘free wheel’ a little here and there with food – why oh why did I read this blog this morning”. Thanks for the gentle kick up the butt Giselle.

Wonderful revelation you share Anne- “just by allowing myself to drive within the road laws, rather than forcing myself to go faster to get somewhere, this raciness fell away and I was left feeling a great stillness and spaciousness within me. And I had the understanding that this sense of stillness and space is always there, living within me, if I allow myself to slow down and feel it.” Wow, I can actually feel how power-full this is in our everyday living.

Thanks Anne – it seems you use to be a bit of a ‘racer’ 😉 pun intended. I liked reading about how when you allow yourself the space and time – you feel like you can expand and make it about yourself and everyone else. But when you restrict your time, and rush – it becomes only about you – and we can go into anger, rage, bitterness, and thinking we are better than others or the law. A great learning – even just writing this comment!

It’s great to accept rules – not passively, but actively. This is what this blog supports me to connect to on a deeper level. The fact that we break or challenge rules from the thought that we are special and deserve to be treated differently to others. However what makes us special is not being treated differently but holding all in our hearts and expressing from our unique essence -that is truly special and truly free.

These days I do feel a sense of being out-of-control when I’m speeding. I feel it in my body – the tension in my arms and shoulders, the gridlocked jaw, the shift in my posture to the edge of my seat, particularly when I’m overtaking. It’s tough to drop the girl-racer of the past but I’m also noticing and loving that beautiful stillness you describe that’s possible to reach when ‘in motion’, driving at the speed that’s right for that road. So true – the law provides responsible parameters for its citizens to observe for the good of all. But I also know I have my own responsibility for how I am on the road and in that I’m a work in progress. Because I’ve come to notice that how I’ve been living in the hours, minutes and moments up to me getting in the car always determines how my driving is. So your blog is a great reminder of that personal responsibility for how I’m living in each moment and its affect on others.

I once thought the speed limit was a nuisance but over time I have come to see that it is actually a great way to learn to stay connected and present with everything around us. Going over the limit only causes tension, it is very much there for a reason!

So true Susan, I do use now days, how fast I am going or wanting to push myself over the speed limit as a marker for where I am at. If I am racing and wanting to go over, I now see this and can stop myself, not allowing it to get into a momentum. It is a great way to look at how to stay connected when on the road.

Anne, what you offer here is very revealing, as with speeding and that narrow focus you speak of I never truly considered. When I speed and I do love to, I am so focussed on not getting caught or as you talk of being frustrated by others I miss so much else. When I’ve experimented with slowing down an odd thing has happened, I’ve actually got there in time and with time and I’ve felt so much more at ease. And feeling deeper here, it feels like speeding is very much with ‘drive’ (intended!), and getting there and is not about feeling and allowing what is to experience along the way. And it’s funny that’s how many of us live modern life focussed on the outcomes and not always aware of the flavours along the way. Definitely one which refines more on a daily basis.

It’s amazing to me how much space opens up when we take our focus off one particular thing. When having this narrow focus, it really does blinker out all the other amazing things that are happening around us, that we are seemingly oblivious to. When coming back to seeing the ‘peripheries’, or the whole picture as it may be, there is such joy and expansiveness that can be felt. It really does make me wonder why I would ever try to control or focus on something that takes me away from the whole. It is amazing learning to start to do things, obviously with purpose, but without the narrowing focus. A very interesting process indeed!

I fully agree with you Anne, the speed limits are not there to annoy us in any way shape or form, but are there to protect ourselves and our fellow man. As you describe in the beginning of your blog we tend to not abide to this laws because we get something from speeding, a thrill, a certain status that we can do it without being caught, giving a feeling of supremacy etc. and that for me is one of the reasons these laws are protecting us from. Although I know driving to the given speed limits is so freeing and when truly felt the appropriate speed for that particular location does serve all equally, I still have the tendency for speeding when I am not fully connected with myself, when I put myself into a rush or when I am straying away in thoughts and when I become myself aware of it I can feel how dishonouring this behaviour is to my fellow men.

Great blog, i too find that i used to drive to see family about 3hrs away and find that i had to stay over the night because i was exhausted, i realised that the way i drove there depleted me so much that by 8pm i was finished.
Now i drive and enjoy the journey without speed or having to be there at a certain time.
I now enjoy the lovely drive home the same day now and still feel energised once i arrive home.
Amazing that something as simple as abiding by the law can make make us feel great!

I agree, I live about 3 hours from some of my family and what I have also found like you is, even as a passenger when I keep on having the thoughts of ‘Are we there yet’, I find myself completely drained by the end of the car journey, but now I enjoy the journey.

I can relate to your experience very well Anne. You reminded me on the fact how powerful it is when we move in stillness and when we connect to space – then the magic begins beyond all ideas and beliefs our mind can have.

I too have been known to be a speedy driver. I know what you mean about the tension you feel Anne because I feel it to. The way I hold my body is quite tight and rigid. I lie how you point out that we are sharing the road when we abide by the speed limit, rather than wanting others to get out of our way, this action basically says we have more right to the road because we go faster. Crazy…

Recognising the stress that can come with driving outside of the limits is extremely liberating, and will be for most people the removal of the major factor of stress… Turning this around is something will be of benefit to us every day.

Absolutely Chris,
I just had a long drive yesterday, and in that I made the choice to take my time and respect the rules of the road. And the whole experience was so much more still than I’d experienced on long drives before. Generally I’d be trying to overtake, switch lanes, be aware of people wanting to overtake me, all at the same time as looking out for where I need to be going. I was totally anxious. Yesterday, I drove to the limit, took my time, and it felt so easy. Driving is just one example of how if we allow and not rush, everything is simpler and calmer.

As I was re-reading this blog, it made me consider that having this space and steadiness doesn’t have to be isolating to driving, but can apply to every activity we do… To me, the more I am present with my body (and less in my head or somewhere else!) the more that space seems to expand whereas the less I am present in my body (including stressed, racy etc. etc.), space seems to become much more limited and constricted.

I can relate to your driving story Anne. In fact my speeding got so bad my licence was suspended for three months a few years ago now. This forced me to address my issue with speeding and tailgating, which lead to me breaking a lot more patterns within myself than I realised. For me driving the speed limit was about me embracing the law from a place of respect and equality and letting go of a rebel in reaction to authority. Boy oh boy does it feel great to drive the speed limit, on long trips now I often use cruise control – it feels amazing to drive past a hidden speed camera without having some sort of internalised freak out.

I really use driving as a great marker for where I am at. How distracted am I when I pull up at a set of lights, do I want to reach for my phone, play with the radio, have the radio on at all? All these assist me in reflecting back where I am and how I am feeling. I loved what you shared here Anne, as there is so much we can bring awareness to in how we drive on the roads and the impact that it can have on all those around us.

Anne I have just read this after a month of abusing the way I drive, July has resulted in 3 speeding fines and 3 parking fines. Where have I been? Certainly not with me ! Caught up in the veritable distractions and beliefs that everything about my life is way more important than the law, safety of others etc etc. Great to read this again STOP and slow right down – we are all equal.

It is so true Lee that any part of our life can reflect our level of presence and connectedness. I recently had an identical scene play out in front of me to someone else around speeding in exactly the same spot it had happened to me earlier in the year. What was fascinating was that I had not let go of my reaction to how the police had behaved in both situations. It showed me how much I am still invested in life being a certain way… everything is energy and therefore everything is because of energy… Until I change my energy in the dynamic around speeding and police, I imagine it will still play out in my life.

When we bring awareness and commitment to deepening our relationship with ourselves in one aspect of our lives, other aspects are then called to adjust and evolve. This is the case in one of Anne’s last comments when she said that after enjoying driving at the speed limit where she can feel more with herself – she will now have to leave more time to get there on time.. Her whole rhythm will experience an adjustment as everything is connected and we cannot evolve in one area without other aspects of our lives also expanding.

I have always been late, always tried to fit too much into the day and then driven too fast to get places! It’s hard for me to say that but it’s true! It has taken me years to unravel, but now I can see so much that I have all but changed this pattern of mine: In a nutshell, that I have lived in protection, in reaction and certainly in delay, all my life… delaying what I need to do in favour of complication…. Too much in my head, avoiding my stillness and protecting the hurt. Unravelling all of this and learning to live with my body, from my stillness and letting myself feel it all, I now choose to leave for places a bit early and drive at the speed limit. I don’t distract myself as I drive, I simply drive, staying present in my body and in my surroundings. It is true, the whole road opens up and no one annoys me. If I do find myself rushing, I become intensely aware of the effect it is having on people around me and this is what inspires me to adjust again next time. It’s a constant focus for me as it has been a lifelong pattern but it just goes to show that long held patterns can and do change when we allow ourselves to heal.

Anne I loved your sharing. I personally have never been one to speed, though, when I have not been present I can find myself speeding by not being fully aware. This is something that can still happen in those moments. What you share is giving me a moment to appreciate my choice. Where once I drove at the speed limit, because I didn’t want to get a fine, but did so with great disregard for myself and others and was certainly not present as I was driving. Today I am more present driving than ever before and the beauty that is around me to see and feel as I am driving is an absolute marvel that I used to miss, the joy I feel as I drive, then continues with me in other parts of my day.

Okay, okay, I’ll have to give it a go now! What amazes me and makes me smile to myself is how I was drawn to read your blog this morning – like a bee to honey! Thank you Anne for inspiring me to revisit my driving habits. It also made me think about how I am around parking. I always look for the closest possible park to my destination and think I am ‘in tune’ when I score a good one and feel very pleased with myself BUT then there is the underlying tension to remember to move the car in 2 hours or risk getting a parking fine.

Having read this blog and being able to so relate to it, whenever I get in my car, it comes to mind. I use how I drive now as a great marker for myself, am I driving at the speed limit? am I not? If not, why not? What is going on? Am I distracted, what am I feeling? It has really helped me to not just get in the car and drive, recklessly, checking out listening to the radio, speeding. If I do catch myself going into any of those things, I am so great at catching myself now, slowing down, which does feel great for not only myself, but for all, on or off the road.

Its great to return to this awesome blog. Realising for myself that when I speed up in any of my daily activities underneath, there is a ‘need’ to get things done so that I can then move on to the next job in hand. My mind speeds up as I get distracted to then think too far ahead of myself. Up pops the old pattern of underlying anxiousness. The same when driving, up goes the speed, gripping of the steering wheel, tension in the shoulders and an underlying tension builds in my body. This is a great one to clock and nip in the bud, bringing back gentleness and appreciating the many things around me that I miss by going too fast.

Great blog Anne, you bring up some great points. I find that what has helped me concentrate a great deal more on my driving, is having a spotlessly clean car, on the inside, nothing dropped into a cubby hole, only a pair of sunglasses. I’m not then distracted by anything inside the car, and when it feels like it came out of the showroom, I drive it like it’s brand new.

That’s true I have noticed that too Sally, when my car is clean I am much more aware of how I drive it. There is an appreciation for the car that isn’t there when I have let it get messy and let things pile up

This is a great sharing what you felt ‘What part of me thinks I am above or exempt from this law? The part that thinks I am smarter, more alert, have a better car – that the law does not apply to me?’ I know I and many many others have been just as arrogant in thinking the same thing at times in our life, that we are exempt from the law or rules. As you say it is only there to keep us safe.

I too have felt this arrogance Vicky, that I am above the law, that a little bit of speeding doesn’t matter. But it really does. I know I have been watching for when I do speed and ask myself what is going on? Have I not gotten organised enough? Am I just speeding because I can? The answer to both is usually yes. More recently however, I have been really bringing awareness to how I am ‘before’ I get behind the wheel, checking in with myself. This has helped a lot and knowing I am contributing to keeping the roads and myself safe.

I agree Vicky and there is also the arrogance of thinking, as long as I don’t get caught, then it doesn’t matter. I used to slow down only when there were traffic cameras. It feels good to now be taking responsibility and driving with care for myself and other road users just because it makes sense. I have to admit this new way of driving has come about since I attended a speed awareness course.

I love the responsibility you bring with this post Anne. That we are sharing a space together whilst moving at high speeds that could potentially cause great harm to another. None of us are above or below another and it is our responsibility of the level of care we take when we are driving. Are we just thinking of ourselves or are we considering the safety of all others? As you shared when we are connected to ourselves and with what we are doing we bring a presence and awareness that encompasses all – ‘I was on the road with everyone else, sharing the space with everyone equally.’

Every day / moment offers an opportunity to learn something about ourselves and the world around us. I love what you have shared here Anne about what you learnt from driving and that when you open yourself up to a new moment / a new way of being/looking at life – anything is possible. I love curiosity and a willingness to be open.

I have found when speeding doesn’t come from rebellion against the law or pushing it to the limits, it is because many are running late for wherever they are going – always against the clock and trying to make up for lost time. Affecting all on the road. This is something I have noticed decrease in myself enormously since I have been inspired to take greater care for myself through Universal Medicine… including giving more time to preparing myself. This has allowed me to truly enjoy the drive rather than as you so aptly exposed, being in tension from a narrowness of focus that clearly does not support the spaciousness you speak of, which when you connect to it, is truly lovely.

Great reflection – I too have felt the difference between driving with excessive speed and abiding by the speed limit. What has occurred to me while reading this is how we make choices to not abide by so many different sets of rules, agreed ways of working, policies and procedures etc. that we do not agree with and do not think too much of it. In the main we do not do anything to make it known that we do not agree with them or feel that a change is needed meaning that these existing ways of doing things carry on when really a change may bring great benefits for all.

Secondly the speeding fine I forgot about didn’t seem to come into the equation when I found myself flying down the road the other day, the thing that stopped me and I haven’t sped since was realising the quality of how you are when you get to where you are going is so important, are they getting you or that rally car or grand prix driver which ever one I know it’s not me.

I saw the title of this blog and didn’t want to click it, it was then I knew I had to… the temptation to push the accelerator that little bit more, to ‘get somewhere’, is ever present for me and this blog is a timely reminder that my presence is where I am need most and that is where ever I am right now.

“Is this possible that in speeding, rushing or always on the last minute we avoid conneciing to our stillness. And bring stillness into our motion…”
I have made the same experience that it supports me so much more if i drive in accordance with the given seed limit. The moment i feel under time pressure and drive quicker to get there quicker it puts a strong tension on my body and impacts me longer than just driving in the car.

So very true for me also Janinaelisa, if I am in a hurry, therefore having to speed, I can feel the tension in my body, I start to get anxious and I arrive wherever I am going not feeling connected or with myself. Abiding by the Law, driving on the speed limit is actually very rewarding. It fosters connection, calmness, reflection for other drivers and I feel better when I do so.

Driving on the roads is such an important subject because it can support an awareness of the fact that even though we may appear to be separate, such as cocooned within our different vehicles, there is still a responsibility that we have towards each other and this connects us as we move together along the roads and through life.

Shami, it’s true that we often think we are separate especially when we are in our bedroom, or “cocooned within our different vehicles”. People throw rubbish out the car window forgetting that though it may not be cluttering their own vehicle it is lying on the road for others to see. So in fact, whatever we do in our ‘private’ spaces still does affect everyone.

The ease, joy and stillness you felt in driving at the speed limit is something I am exploring with not running late when I drive somewhere. I find when I am late, I get the same tunnel vision you experienced, focussing on the getting there rather than enjoying the drive. This creates a lot of stress and tension in my body.

“Abiding by the law comes from the understanding that we are all equal, and that the law is for everyone, equally so; and if we choose to break it, no matter how special we think we are, there will be consequences for us, as there are for everyone else.” Thank you for this much needed reminder.

This is a good point to highlight, Samantha and when I attended a speed workshop in the UK one of the things I took away was how the limits are there for good reason and have taken lots of factors into account – it is therefore always each persons responsibility to pay attention. Though this applies to all areas of life as there are consequences to everything if we choose irresponsibity.

“In this space that I created by driving within the speed limit, just by allowing myself to drive within the road laws, rather than forcing myself to go faster to get somewhere, this raciness fell away and I was left feeling a great stillness and spaciousness within me. And I had the understanding that this sense of stillness and space is always there, living within me, if I allow myself to slow down and feel it.“ In pushing our bodies, being racy or driving fast we avoid feeling the “great stillness” you have beautifully described Anne and which is waiting within us.

I agree Sylvia, looking at a part of our lives – especially driving – can highlight how we are in the rest. Re-imprinting this part can bring beautiful ripples of change to other parts, as no part is indeed separate from the whole.

I would agree too… as stepping out of a car when in this momentum or pace, would easily continue in the way we walk, talk and think.. just imagine what thats doing to the internal organs… our heart rate, the adrenaline and stress hormones release into the blood stream…. This behaviour would certainly contribute to exhaustion and fatigue.

Yes, I totally agree Sylvia. This is something I became very aware of after being caught speeding. The course I had to attend made me become aware of how I rush doing lots of things, not just driving. I have started making simple changes to the way I live, where I am deliberately making myself slow down. The anxiousness that normally accompanies my rushing is slowly dropping away.

I love what you have written here Anne, so honestly. What struck me reading today is how we start to normalise things that are actually far from loving. Your example of driving over the speed limit is a classic one as we can start to feel like it is ok, because it hasn’t caused any accidents or any ‘great’ harm. What if we saw our responsibility on the roads to really drive as equals and have love for all those we drive with? How different would our roads be! We have a normal currently on our roads (and thus in life) that is far from the love it could be. Bringing our attention bit by bit to the parts of our lives that can be made more loving (in this instance our driving), we can create a more loving and harmonious world for all.

Amelia, it’s so true that we tend to “normalise things that are actually far from loving”. We often are under the illusion that we are being loving because we are in certain areas of our life but usually there are parts where we go on automatic , take someone for granted or drop our awarenes and it is great to bring “our attention bit by bit to the parts of our lives that can be made more loving” so we can “create a more loving and harmonious world for all.”

The ‘getting away with it’ attitude is so prevalent in the way most of us live. We may think we are getting away with it, until a speed camera clocks you and there is a price to pay, or until disregard of ourselves results in a stop and illness, disease or an accident is the price to pay.

It is interesting to live in the part of the world where I do… one little town town nearby has the greatest concentration of five-year-olds who haven’t been immunized in Australia… We can rebel against many things, speed limits, immunization, taxes,… That if we embrace an understanding the true and deeper meaning of community, and start to allow ourselves to feel the bigger picture, we will see that there are so many things that are there for us to live in balance and harmony with each other

Thank you Anne for sharing so honestly, most of the time I like to drive by the speed limit, the times I go over the speed limit are the times when I haven’t given myself enough time for my trip, and when my mind is elsewhere, speeding for me , becomes a marker , that I am not in my body, a reminder to come back to presence.

“…speeding for me, becomes a marker, that I am not in my body… my mind is elsewhere, speeding for me”. This is so true Jill. I notice sometimes that I speed while listening to a fast piece of music and it shows me that I have got caught up in the music rather than just listening from my body.

Until we really start to know ourselves, there is a part of us that wants to rebel, to break the laws subtly or overtly, even boundaries that we know are there for our own good, but when we do start to connect with the true inner self, there is a rhythm that works in harmony with everything that we can start to feel.

It is amazing how cavalier I used to be on the roads. Speeding when I could, not for any other reason than I was usually late for something, not having given myself enough time and space to get somewhere, so needed to speed to get to my destination on time. I used to even purposefully leave things to the last minute before walking out the door so there was a need for me to go into urgency, to get myself ready and out the door. Totally setting myself up so that I was in some degree of anxiousness, therefore speed, during the drive. This has changed now, giving myself much more time to get where I need to go. When I get into the momentum now, I see it as a flag for myself, and ask, what is going on? This allows for much more responsibility.

“I used to even purposefully leave things to the last minute before walking out the door so there was a need for me to go into urgency” Raegan, this is an example of how we sabotage ourselves by setting up a situation that is going to take us away from ourselves. This is a habit that I am endeavouring to overcome and it requires me to take more responsibility with my daily rhythm and allow enough time so that I am not ‘running’ late. I notice this is harder when I am going to do something just for me, like have a treatment. I’ll do all the things I feel I ‘should’ do first so that I can deserve it and then when I get there it is harder to surrender because I have arrived wound up from the anxiousness of being late. It’s a crazy pattern fuelled by lack of self worth. Asking the question, “what is going on?” is a good way to break the momentum of this pattern and, as I appreciate myself more, it is happening less often.

“I’ll do all the things I feel I ‘should’ do first so that I can deserve it and then when I get there it is harder to surrender because I have arrived wound up from the anxiousness of being late.” I know that one very well Sandra. It is a trick because it is not possible to let go of tension in a second and it then sabotages the whole moment. I found it too in relationships, I think that I can be in ‘not expressing’ with people the whole day and then be loving with my partner in the evening but it just does not work that way. The tension and hardness in my body from being like that in the day is also there in the evening and then impacting on how easy it is to be loving with my partner (and myself).

I have played that game with myself too. There is always one last thing I want to squeeze in doing before I get ready to step out for an appointment. All the while, time is passing so I end up getting ready in a rush and leaving the house feeling stressed. My new way of handling this is to ask myself, ‘do I really need to do this now?’ The answer is invariably ‘no,’ so I am slowly breaking this pattern.

It is amazing how driving myself to work early in the mornings can have such an effect on the rest of my day. Even to how I allow the traffic volume to impact my thoughts which then have a ripple effect through my body. From getting into the car and getting out again to maintaining a constant gentle rhythm with awareness is the key. Great sharing Anne.

How I am on the roads is a constant reflection of how I feel on the inside. If I am feeling anxious my driving is less smooth and I am more likely to get frustrated by a red light. When I am connected, my driving is smooth, red lights do not bother me and more often I find the lights are at green and so I do not have to stop and my journey flows.

This is so true Jane, driving is such a good way for me to connect with how I am being with myself. I noticed recently the way I get in and out of the car can be really rough and sometimes how I reverse can be very rushed when I notice this it offers me a stop moment to re-connect and be much more gentler.

Yes I find that too Jane, great reflection and something we can hone our awareness to more and more so that we can choose what state of being we like to stay in or move out of – driving is an awesome reflection of just that.

I suppose that how we drive is a great reflection of how we live but also can show such opposite traits. Take a mild mannered nice person, put them behind the wheel of a car and just watch them turn into some sort of crazy speed demon, aggressive, impatient and yelling at people using rude hand gestures. Maybe that is the true reflection.

I’m observing my commuting to and from work and finding it very interesting. There are days when I’m in a rush and I’m guaranteed to get stopped by every traffic light and have the flow disrupted. I’m reminded to let go and really just be with myself because the tension I’m building is not worth it. Then there are days when I feel at ease and allowing of whatever’s presented to me -more, often than not, I’ll have green lights and spaces to pull out to join the flow of the universe.

A great sharing ,Anne and one that is very pertinent to me as I drive everyday for my work. I realise that how I drive is the measure of how much I am with myself in my stillness. It is a great barometer of conscious presence. Thank you for reminding me about this.

Anne, thank you for sharing how you evolved through this experience. It confirms that we do not really ‘get away with’ anything. For even though we might not be caught speeding it creates a certain tension in the body which stops us connecting to ourselves and feeling the flow and harmony of everything working seamlessly together. It’s beautiful the way you express how you felt once you accepted the road laws and willingly took responsibility for your part and the sense of oneness that you felt from doing that: “I was on the road with everyone else, sharing the space with everyone equally.” “…to experience stillness within while in motion is a far greater joy than any cheap thrill”.

“and slowed down for road works and built up areas” That is such a great point Anne. Often it would to me feel as a bit overdoing it to slow down to the speed limit around road works and this shows me that I am maybe a bit caught up in getting to my destination. So it is a great stop moment. Plus I always feel the tension when I do not abide by the speed limits around road works because I know it can be potentially dangerous for the people working there even though it seems way to slow.

Hi Anne, I love your honest reflection and sharing in your blog. Our bodies hold so much wisdom if we stop, allow and listen and whether it is speeding, working, exercising, walking we all can without realising it , shift into another space, separating from what’s going on within us and create pressure and dis-ease. Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine have also brought profound wisdom to my life through increased body awareness. Thanks again for sharing.

So many people are time challenged and used to ‘racing’ in life.. the thing is , when we put that raciness behind a ton or so of metal, it becomes simply irresponsible to drive in any way but that which respects everyone else.

This is a brilliant article Anne and reading this a while ago allowed me to became more aware of how I was driving, I realised that i was often rushing, it has felt lovely recently to not rush whilst driving, even if im tight for time, I do not push myself to speed, lean forward, go into anxiousness like i used to, i enjoy driving so much more now, feel safer and do not arrive somewhere aching and with tension in my body. Reflecting on this article I can feel how driving is part of our expression and so for years I drove in a very hard, rushed, forced way and now i drive much more naturally and true to me – gently and with care.

With sat navs i’ve noticed that even if I floor it to try to make up some time on the journey, it will only shave off a few minutes from my estimated arrival time. So all that tension, rushing and irresponsible driving is really doing is an attempt to make ourselves feel better because we did not allow enough space for the journey. By taking control and feeling we are going as fast as we can we create for ourselves the false illusion that we can fix the situation. But even if we arrive ‘on time’ the quality of energy in which we made the journey is awful, which is what we then take into the next part of our day.

I never used to drive within the speed limits, not on purpose I just wasn’t aware of what the limit was and where this changes as well as not looking at the speedometer to see how fast I was going. This resulted in me getting 9 points on my license within three months!!! This was many years ago and the points have cleared off my licence now but it has made me really aware of what speed I am driving at and what the limit is where I am driving, which I really appreciate. What I have noticed more and more though is cars driving up behind me really fast and flashing lights at me to move out of the way, even when I am not in the fast lane. This not only is extremely rude but could actually make someone panic. It makes me wonder what the person is like with others when they are out of the car.

For years I was quite an anxious driver and I was unaware at the time of the tension this caused in my body. I would worry about certain junctions, motorways and would avoid busy roundabouts which looked daunting, often travelling miles out of my way rather than face things head on. I even got to the point where I didn’t drive my car for a whole year except on rare occasions locally. Now however I drive daily as part of my job in North London where my driving technique has had to adapt, and any intersection which I find daunting I make sure that I practise it over and over, and eventually the tension goes. What I have discovered with driving is that it has helped me to deal with situations head on and I no longer drive miles out of my way to avoid a situation. My driving today is reflecting back to me the fact that I am more willing to deal with uncomfortable situations in all areas of my life, not only driving.

I am constantly using how I drive, how fast I go, how much time did I leave to get where I am going and many more, as markers to whether I am with myself or not. Many times I catch myself driving too fast and realise, why am I doing this? What am I racing too or racing away from? or am I just racy within myself? It is a great way to be monitor oneself and utilise a daily thing many of us do, as a way of keeping abreast of where my connection is with myself.

Check. “Abiding by the law comes from the understanding that we are all equal, and that the law is for everyone, equally so; and if we choose to break it, no matter how special we think we are, there will be consequences for us, as there are for everyone else.”. Double check. I got a parking fine yesterday and was quite incensed to have to pay $47 and reading this today I can see the arrogance in my thinking that I could get away with it. So not true.

A speed camera recently caught me, doing 40mph in 30mph zone. I had to attend a speed awareness course to avoid getting point on my license. The course opened my eyes to the futility of rushing, and of course the potential dangers to pedestrians and other drivers when we drive too fast. I came away with a sense of responsibility. It’s not about getting away with it when we can because there are no speed cameras, but doing the responsible thing, even when no camera is there to catch you out.

This sense of equality is beautiful. When I first considered it I was worried about not feeling special. I was worried because it had been an important compliment for me and being individual had also been important. Now I feel how lovely it is to feel that connection with everyone and the joy of this is a much sturdier foundation for me than being special to someone. Being dependant on being separate is a lonely place. Understanding and feeling equality and the gorgeous responsibility that comes with it, brings harmony, love, stillness and joy.

‘What part of me thinks I am above or exempt from this law?’; ‘What part of the law says that it is for everyone but me?’. Oh gosh Anne you have mentioned my pet dislike, that is when people just completely ignore the speed limit and think they are exempt from it. I have noticed this more and more recently and part of me asks as they go whizzing by ‘erm well your speed limit of 50 seems to be a lot faster than ours!’

I know that tension – and other drivers ‘getting in my way’. It’s an exhausting and often painful way to drive. But I also know the spaciousness and stillness you write of when staying within the speed limit. I love it. Although I can’t say hand on heart that I never break the speed limit, when i do it it’s usually because I’m rushing and haven’t left enough time to get to where I need to go. The feeling for driving more spaciously is way better so this incentivises me to leave more time for travelling.

It is extraordinary that we can convince ourselves the law simply doesn’t apply to us because we’re ‘good’ drivers! Just like convincing ourselves we won’t get a serious illness even if we aren’t bothering to care for ourselves. And then what makes me chuckle is the surprise and indignation so often expressed when we are caught (or get sick)!

We speed through life… not just in our cars, but in our lives usually the traffic policeman is our bodies… and the tickets we receive are the wake up calls that we can tune into or ignore… until we either reconfigure … or lose our licence!

How I am in my car, tells me so much about myself, how I got in and out of the car, how tightly I hold the steering wheel, how straight I am sitting or am I slouching. For this reason I love long journeys so I have time to connect to myself feel into what is going on for me and listen to the audios by Serge Benhayon – heaven.

We see the awful results of not being present as we drive in the road rage incidents that are accelerating… and as Anne says the contrast, when we do let go of the angst of driving, is really extraordinary.

I love this blog Anne M and it is timely for me to read as I received a speeding fine just yesterday! Thank you for reminding me that I have been depriving myself of the pleasure of abiding by the law. I now see my fine as a blessing and a reminder that it is important to bring equality and respect for others to everything I do.

Thanks for your sharing Anne, I have been a bit of a lead foot and just like to take off and go for it and I didn’t like to be held back by slower drivers, I would get frustrated with them. I can relate to what you share, that when you drive like this you end up more anxious and racy and when you get to your destination its like you are not with yourself, a few steps ahead of yourself.

Beautiful Anne, simply because we have not much time or are to late we think we can all make it , and do it our own way. I recognize this behavior unfortunately , but I also understand that this behavior was purely a mechanism to survive, and protect the self – other then to let people in and be with people on the road. Very interesting and honest piece of writing. We want more of this, we need to express more of this, and simply call it out as it is. As everything we express in life, being it driving a car or not, is felt by our fellow brethren as we walk on the same earth. Thank you Anne!

I concur! Driving safely does feel lovely and far more at ease and relaxed in the body. I must admit I do get a bit tetchy when cars speed past all others and think ‘and what makes you exempt from the speed limit?’

Thank you Anne for sharing your positive road experience that I am sure will make a difference to how many of us feel behind the wheel, the impatience behind a slow driver and feeling we don’t have enough time to get to our destination. On many country roads I have found local drivers who know the road seem to want to sit on my tail and then roar off as soon as there is an opening to do so, often as I am about to turn right into another road leading to my destination they will try to pass , so putting on the indicator early saves an almost certain accident.

I can really relate to your story Ann, always on the lookout for police as I drive, for me over the speed limit; the ease of driving and relaxation in my body when I actually obey the road rules is something I am experiencing more and more all the time and the more I exercised it the more I realised just how much stress and tension I held in my body every time I drove in the past. The flow and ease I travel with these days is an amazing experience of stillness within while in motion.

It’s true Anne. When we are in a rush to get to any destination we put out blinkers on and it narrows our view so you are either constantly driving with suspicion, is that car an unmarked police car or a speed camera waiting to catch me out, or the frustration that can and does build to road rage and is very much characterized by, you are in my way people, get out of the way. These rush factor principles are easily applied to our everyday real life and brings a constant suspicion and low grade irritation for others who supposedly aren’t keeping up with you or getting in your way. The question is when we rush what are we racing against?

I love coming back to this blog, as it is a great reminder to me that ‘everything is everything’. So if we are getting into road rage, feeling distracted when driving, checking ones phone etc. it is a clear refection of what is going on within us! What is going on outside of us is a clear guide as to what is going on inside of us! Very timely reminder.

I have realised that the way I drive is a great reflection of how I am with myself during the day, when I drive fast I am not so well connected within myself, I would already be thinking about what I needed to do when I arrived. Now as I become more consistent with my connection, I am able to take my time, enjoy the drive, and being with myself.

Its a bit like playing a game – seeing if we can go over the speed limit without being caught! The identification that comes with being the one going over the speed limit gives us a ‘rush’ and there is a sense of being in control behind the wheel while going that fast. It is not very nice when I feel this in my body. Yet we seek this anyway as it is nicer to feel this than the tensions from the quality of the rest of our lives.

Great point about the law being there for all, equally so and how humbling it is when this realisation finally puts our boy-racer days in their rightful place. But more importantly, that stillness you describe as being way better than any adrenalin rush is the thing that nourishes us far more than any thrill from road transgressions ever can.

Whilst we are all equal, our cars are not and neither are our responses. Some cars are much older and have worse brakes and some drivers are stoned or have poor vision or are distracted by mobile phones or children. Wouldn’t it great if we were all responsible enough to drive to the conditions of the road, of our vehicles and ourselves, respect each other and not need to have such rules.

Love what you have shared Anne – and it so makes sense too what you are saying. When we ‘slow down’ enough and allow ourselves the space to be with everyone else on the road, it is a completely different experience. This applies to speeding in a car but just as much to ‘speeding’ in life (you know those times we rush and ‘speed’ whilst on foot just walking around getting chores done’). Any form of rushing or hurry makes us lose our connection with ourselves, and so the quality we bring to another is not the same. The rushing gives us a buzz, it distracts us from the focus and calmness, just like you have so beautifully shared.

I have been inspired by this blog since reading it over a year ago and I have gradually been changing the way I drive as a result. You make it so clear that we are not giving anything up when we choose to obey the speed limit, in fact the spaciousness and sense of ease we gain is a great gift. Thank you Anne.

“Because I was driving at the same speed as everyone else, the whole road opened up around me. No-one was getting in my way, I had all the space and time in the world, and I was on the road with everyone else, sharing the space with everyone equally.” This is beauty if we just follow the roads they are there to keep us safe, but we also create the space and allow the energy to support us

I can really relate to this whole article. The difference me driving to get somewhere and in disregard to myself and others, and when I am driving with consideration of others, realising that no-one is perfect. Driving for me is a very real way of practising living with others, being allowing and claiming my space in full.

There are many who feel they are above the law when they are driving. Almost like they have a right to drive in a certain way, there can be an arrogance that also comes with it. It is my road and I will drive however I like. Many times this relates to how someone lives, their choices and what sort of relationship they do have with themselves. How much understanding they have for themselves and others, tolerance, self care. When we foster these qualities in ourselves, no matter where we are, we have capacity to hold others in those same qualities.

I have been more observant of myself whilst driving since last reading your blog Anne and have found it to be a great reflection of where I am at, and like yourself have found that when I am with myself, and driving within the speed limit, I arrive on time with a sense of ease and spaciousness….something I can then take with me throughout my day.

It is so easy to switch off when driving; thinking about all sorts of things, so to speed at the same time certainly brings in another level of danger. I too used to drive fast to get from one appointment to another, with the business dealings I was traveling for going around and around in my mind, often getting to my destination and wondering how I got there, so distracted was I. These days my journeys are more relaxed and therefore enjoyed so much more than they used to be; I will not allow any rush, thoughts, or possibly being late for an appointment, to take my focus away from “abiding by the law”.

Driving is such a great reflection of how we are in life. I noticed I was doing the same with a shopping trolley the other day, getting annoyed by everyone who stepped in my path and just wanting everyone to get out of the way. It was a bit of a stop because I am not normally like that when I go into shops so it made me stop and feel what was going on that I was getting irritated by everyone. It was as simple as I was tired and actually didn’t want to be shopping at that point in time.

It would be great if more advertisement / more television promoted to safe driving, we have so many types of entertainment on our television screens, if we instead dedicated some time to promoting safe driving and the importance of being present it would benefit our society no end.

It is so easy to just drive from A to B, thinking that we are going towards B. But what is interesting is that while we are going to a destination, I am finding the moment we bring more presence to our journey, its like there is a space that is allowed to be there and it is no longer just about the journey but also about enjoying the quality we bring to it each step of the way.

In fact we will not arrive anywhere anytime. We are going on and on. The moment we realize this is very relaxing because if I can not reach anything I just can unfold what is there already…nothing new. Just unfoldment. Ahhh.

We easily become accustomed to a certain way of being with ourselves and this then becomes our normal. In this we can overlook the effect that our patterns are actually having on us. When we speed this does have an effect on our nervous system and creates a tension. Wanting to speed or always pushing ourselves in relation to time, cutting a fine line not leaving enough time to get to places without being late keeps us in a stage of motion so that we don’t have the space to feel what we need to work on within ourselves.

How sweet to realize that the attitude ‘trying to get away with it’ does mean to not be with me and so – get away from me. Interesting ho we create a tension and think maybe even we feel ourselves more by it – thereby we push us away from ourselves and the space around us.

I had a great chuckle as I was reading your blog Anne as it could well have been me you were writing about. I am pleased to report that I have made changes to my driving habits and it continues to be a work in progress.

I have to say it never ceases to amaze me how I can drive from A to B and arrive safely every time even though I am often ‘away with the fairies’ thinking about all sorts of things that have nothing to do with my driving. Driving is a great example of how easily we check out throughout our day.

I am down in Newcastle visiting my dad and have found that driving his car which has super touchy brakes has been a wonderful opportunity for me to practise being more connected. I just love and appreciate how I am being presented with these opportunities to learn more and more as I continue to develop my awareness.

I’m a bit of a stickler for the speed limits. It just doesn’t create any nervousness or anxiety in my body, plus you seem to get to your destination in better shape. We often think driving is just about getting from A to B and remain tuned out to the other paths we may have crossed, other drivers. It seems staying within the limits allows you to be more respectful of other drivers and who knows what type of day they are having. When I look at any trip the focus is smooth driving and the marker for me is how I feel. I love this blog and have come back to it today because I love driving.

This is awesome to read Anne as there is a clear message for me in this, at times I can speed on the road usually because I haven’t left enough time to get somewhere, adding this pressure to myself can often leave you feeling racy and anxious. I am learning it is much kinder on my body (and my fellow driver’s) to leave with plenty of time and then I can arrive at my destination free of tension and the racy feeling you get from speeding. Thanks for this perfect reminder when I step into my car again- ‘experience stillness within while in motion’.

Anne really put her finger on the pulse here when she talks about people getting in her way… And driving in a way that is reacting to that… So many people, so many millions of people around the world are driving in this way… Just imagine if all these people took this article to heart and changed their way of driving… Wouldn’t the roads feel different

When you are driving and have cars tailgate you or cut in front of you abruptly it feels very threatening and dishonouring. You can’t but help reacting or feeling annoyed, angry and stressed. This shows no respect for each other or humanity. However, when we obey the speed limit and drive calmly we are able to feel the spaciousness in our whole body and the flow of the traffic is more harmonious and considerate of others on the road.

Such a simple blog that offers the reader a lot. The way we drive reveals so much about us if we just let ourselves listen and know, for example, I always notice that if I am not quite myself I find it very difficult to park.

Reading this again it is a beautiful reminder having just arrived home after a long drive feeling somewhat tired. Although I had not driven excessively fast I realise that my focus had been on reaching my destination and returning as quickly as I could without allowing myself the space and stillness you describe, Anne, and have experienced myself. This brings an awareness that I was already in the momentum to do things quickly even before I had started the journey.

My driving is always a reflection of how I am in the rest of my day- it is a great monitor for me. I often use driving to come back to me if I am a bit racy and this is easily done by observing my hands on the wheel and checking all my mirrors with purpose.

I had a car at which was an electric work van and could not go over 35mph at first I was embarrassing and that it was the slowest car on the road – but driving around London there isn’t really any need for anything faster. I drove it home for the first time and was blown away how I actually really enjoyed the trip, having space and time to see what was around me and having a chat with my mum in the front seat. I was super enjoyable and totally stress free once I accepted that was all the van could go.

“…..and I was on the road with everyone else, sharing the space with everyone equally.”
Undoubtedly our cars offer us a vehicle for expression and the multitude of colours, shapes and sizes are a celebration of this, what I love about what you are saying here Anne is that the speed limit offers a coming together of these vehicles to share in the power of a group responsibility and respect and if we all truly appreciated this then our roads would be a reflection of how brotherhood could be.

I love driving, I find it a great space to connect to me and feel the world around me. The other thing I absolutely love to do in the car is listen to Glorious Music and have a sing a long. Some of my journeys I am driving for 5 hours at a time and I love listening to the music to help me stay present and alert.

Deliberate speeding, going faster than the speed limit, creates a contraction, a narrowness in our bodies. It is basically very self oriented, it is only possible to make it care for your self, not caring about people or having them in mind.

It is not only about abiding the law on speeding,, this about the law that governs how we stay connected to ourselves to others. I rather choose to be late, staying connected to me, and to everybody around me, on the road for example, than go into raciness or speeding.

Ann M thank you for raising an interesting point in your blog where you have reminded us of the responsibility that comes with driving that is part of our everyday. The average person spends 5.43 years driving in a given life-time. Is it possible that we are wasting years not being part of the road with others? Opting for blaring sounds systems, checking our mobile phones, eating our breakfast, putting on our makeup and many of the other ways we make driving part of our waking routine rather than living and appreciating all that surrounds us.

What I am beginning to feel is that there is actually a rather beautiful natural flow to the way speed limits are set out. As I drop or raise between the 30,50,60,70 speed limits I am beginning to really appreciate how different each one feels. For 25 years of driving I have simply seen each of these numbers as restrictive rules to be broken. I have always been in conflict with them. Now (thanks to a plethora of speeding offences and being literally forced to change my ways) I am beginning to embrace these numbers and see how they can support my presence on the road and thus in my day. It’s like, if during the day I am constantly pushing myself to go that little bit faster, do that little bit more…if I am constantly in tension and drive (pun intended), then I am going to be exhausted at the end of it all and end up getting sick. It’s the same on the road – except the consequences are fines rather than illnesses. And it’s actually really fun.

Realising that there is stillness and spaciousness within that can be tapped into when you allow yourself to slow down and feel it is profound and changes how you can then move through life to stay connected to this way of being…. Absolutely beats the tension of speeding through life.

Driving is a great way to see how well we are able to stay present with ourselves. How many times have we arrived somewhere only to wonder how we got there, that is, we have no idea what we passed on the road etc ? When we do that we are creating so much more tension in our body while at the same time telling ourselves that we just had a relaxing drive!

A very interesting comment about how the law is not there to restrict us, but to assist in the management of having 7 billion people in the same place. I spend my whole life fighting its restrictions, but I love what you share about when you open up to moving at the same speed and suddenly space opens up and you are no longer fighting against the tide.

I have always had a tendency to speed through life, but recently have started to slow down more or at least be less racy inside. Funnily enough this actually creates more space and is an expansion so I often end up doing more and getting there (metaphorically speaking) faster – things are not always as we imagine!

‘to experience stillness within while in motion is a far greater joy than any cheap thrill.’ I can equate this with how I live my life in general. I wouldn’t say I enjoy getting stressed when I react to what there is to do in my day but it is some kind of drama that I make into more of a thing by trying to avoid it. So now I am letting go and developing trust in being still and still getting things done.

‘Getting away with it’- When we drive ourselves through life with the belief that we are ‘getting away with it’ we live with the constant tension that we will get caught out. This tension and stress can be self-fulfilling as our body is our own inner police and lets us know when we are not obeying the law to move through life with tenderness and care for ourselves and others or face the consequences of all our choices.

There is a lot to learn about ourselves by the way that we drive. I drove behind someone yesterday and could feel how they were driving with such a sense of purpose and commitment where there was no delay and at the same time no rushing/speeding. It was beautiful to feel.

I hadn’t really considered that driving fast is selfish but I can see that this is true….as driving very slowly can also be! I have heard from several people that doing the advanced driving test that is offered in the UK has improved their awareness and general quality of driving enormously. This is something I have not as yet signed up for and am reminded about again with this blog.

I think it’s great Anne how you said that when you changed the way you were driving it was like you opened up more and were sharing the road with everyone else equally – something that we could take into all areas of our life! Being more aware, connected and respectful of everyone is something we certainly need to build more of in our world today…

It is gorgeous to come back to this blog Anne. What stood out for me this time was the revelation you shared of a quality that resides within us all – ‘this sense of stillness and space is always there, living within me, if I allow myself to slow down and feel it.’ As a fellow-ex-speeder I also have experienced and realised that choosing to connect to this inner-quality and being present with me, is far more fulfilling than any transitory thrill that comes from speeding, rushing or racing ahead of myself.

When I get in my car it is a great stop moment, it gives me time to reflect on how I am truly feeling. Some days I drive for 4 hours + so there is much time for me to really connect to my body and feel what is actually going on.

It so interesting how our driving can reflect so much in how we are living. If we allow our body to be in stillness and follow the speed limits time just expands there is no need to rush. If we start to speed and get frustrated that is where our body is gone into anxiousness so complete a different state our body is in, causing tension and time running out.

Brilliant sharing. I can relate so much to everything you have shared and I actually love driving at the speed limit now as it really is much more supportive to the body than the tension and narrowness of driving fast as you shared.